Books
Cover Reveal – A Bad Case of the Almosts
Things are starting to happen fast over here! Braver than Brave has been out in the world for three weeks now, and it got an “Editor’s Pick” flag on Amazon, which is really exciting!
It’s a little fuzzy, but feel free to head on over and see it live for yourself! And if you’ve read it and want to leave a review on Goodreads, or Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, I’d greatly appreciate it. 😁
However, today I’m not on here to talk about Braver Than Brave (as much as I love doing that). Today, I’m on here to share the cover of my next book, A Bad Case of the Almosts! It is set to release on January 1st of 2023, which is not all that far away.
Before I do, I wanted to share a little about how this book came to be. In January of 2020 (yep, just before everything hit), I was participating in a thing called Storystorm, a yearly event hosted by Tara Lazar. Storystorm is all about building your story idea list. Tara Lazar hosts a new author every day who shares an idea for a way to find story ideas. It’s a super fun event with prizes, and such, so if you are a writer, you should join in next year. It’s phenomenal!
So there I was, on the hunt for new ideas, and one of the blog posts had said that titles of other books can be good inspiration for a new story. If you look at just the title, imagine how you would write it, and then you can see if it’s similar or not to the actual book that accompanies that title. You’d be surprised how often the two are not similar at all.
I saw the title “Almost Every Time.” . . . or at least, that’s how I read it. Long story short, that wasn’t the title at all! My eyes had skipped down to the next line, and that combination of words really intrigued me. I thought, what if instead of “Almost Every Time,” it was “Almost. Every Time!”
This character leapt to life. This character who got so close to achieving her wants and her goals, but then didn’t get it. EVERY TIME!! That would be so frustrating! And honestly, I could kind of relate. Except not kind of. I could SUPER relate.
That’s how I felt about my attempts to sell another picture book. I’d had multiple books go to multiple acquisitions meetings, and some amazingly wonderful rejections (yes, they really can be wonderful), but it felt like I couldn’t quite get past that last step. It was “Almost” EVERY TIME.
This book took a bit more brainstorming, but when I dared show it to my critique groups, I was surprised at their enthusiasm. I guess they understood that feeling, too. And I was surprised at my agent’s enthusiasm (you know, after some revision rounds). And I was surprised at how quickly my editor at Capstone was able to get it through acquisitions. Because she understood the feeling, too.
So without further ado, I share the cover of A Bad Case of the Almosts, featuring the beautiful artwork of Alexandra Colombo who really brought Abby, my main character who is a huge science enthusiast, to life. And if you like the cover, I can’t wait for you to see what she did with the art inside!
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A Bad Case of the Almosts is now available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as most places books are sold. You can also add it to your “Want To Read” list on Goodreads to be notified when it comes out.
And for all you book reviewers out there, an ARC (Advance Reader Copy – for those wondering) is also now available on NetGalley!
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a bad case of the almosts, alexandra colombo, Braver than Brave, Cover reveal, kids books, picture bookRelease Day for BRAVER THAN BRAVE!
It’s Release day for BRAVER THAN BRAVE!!
So funny thing. Picture books don’t have acknowledgment pages, so I’m going to just go ahead and do it here. For a book to come out in the world, it takes so many people! I could not do it alone. No doubt I will miss someone, and I’m apologize in advance, but here goes . . .
I’m so proud to share this book with Eunji Jung who brought the story to life. Her illustrations are so perfectly perfect. I’m grateful to my editor, Christianne Jones who loved this story from the beginning, and who helped me make this story shine. Huge thanks to Nathan Gassman who designed the book, and to Jennifer Glidden who has done so much to market this book and get the word out. An all-around thank you to Capstone Editions for publishing it! My agent, Lauren Galit has always encouraged me in all my writing, and I owe so much to her.
I’d be remiss not to thank the many people who read early versions and gave such helpful feedback. Patricia Bailey, Dee Romito, Annie Bailey, Melissa Richardson, Annette Pimentel, Angie Lucas, Laurel Neme, Robyn Buttars, and Shawna Tenney. I’d be lost without them! And I have to thank the 12×12 members who read a very early version. Thank you for the encouragement!
I’m enormously grateful to my extended family–both the Sumners and the Johnsons who have always supported me in my writing and cheered me on. I feel so lucky to have such amazing family on both sides. And of course, my children who not only cheer me on, but also inspire me with all the best ideas. They are my pride and joy!
I give my biggest thanks to Rick, husband extraordinaire who has always been my biggest cheerleader. He carries the weight for both of us when I sneak away to write, and he constantly looks for ways to give me more writing time. He inspires me and makes me Braver than Brave in all my writing endeavors. If not for him, I may never have sent off that first manuscript in my journey to publication.
Finally, I want to thank all my readers. Without you, there would be no point in what I do. THANK YOU!! I’m so grateful I get to be an author and share the stories that are tumbling around in my head with the world. I couldn’t do that without you!
Thank you to everyone who has requested a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE or any of my books from their library, and to everyone who has ever left any of my books a review. It means so much to me!
If you want to get your own copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE you can order it at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):
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acknowledgments, Braver than Brave, picture books, Release day26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 25-26
Today is the final day of facing down the chicken exit! BRAVER THAN BRAVE comes out tomorrow. I have been waiting for this for so long and I can’ believe it’s almost here! But in the meantime, I present Days 25-26 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit! I hope you enjoy!
DAY 25: ???
I left today open for all of you to share your own stories of facing down the chicken exit. I hope you’ve been inspired after reading so many great stories. I hope you’ve been thinking about the moments in your life when you’ve faced down your chicken exit . . . whether that means taking the exit, or doing THE THING. I hope you know that there are SO MANY WAYS TO BE BRAVE. You are Brave! And I hope you’ll comment and share your own story. I would truly love to hear!
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DAY 26: Back to Wanda
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I hope you enjoyed Days 25-26, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the whole series. I really wanted to highlight the idea that being brave looks different for everyone. Sometimes we are Brave by doing THE HARD THING, and sometimes walking away from it takes all the Brave. A huge thank you to everyone who shared their story. That took courage, too! I love you all!
And dearest readers, I would really love to hear your story of facing down your own chicken exit in the comments!
If you want to learn more about Wanda’s Chicken exit, you can pre-order (or is it plain old order now??!) a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):
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If you’ve missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Braver than Brave, Chicken Exit, Wanda26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 21-24
Today we’re continuing with the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 21-24 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 21: PB Character, Little One
A monarch caterpillar named Little One from HELLO, LITTLE ONE, exists in a lonely green world. It longs for a friend. One day an orange butterfly lands nearby and makes a connection. Although embarassed, Little One is brave and responds, making a new friend to end its loneliness.
~by Zeena M. Pliska, art by Fiona Halliday
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DAY 22: Mr. Janet Sumner Johnson
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I hope you enjoyed Days 21-24! If you want to learn more about Wanda’s Chicken exit, you can pre-order a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):
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If you’ve missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Braver than Brave, Chicken Exit, Fiona Halliday, Hello Little One, Janet Sumner Johnson, Zeena Mar26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 18-20
Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 18-20 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of MY BIG, DUMB, INVISIBLE DRAGON
“I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that’s how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5.”
DAY 19: PB Character, Morah
In MERMAIDS DON’T WEAR FLOATIES, Morah faces a chicken exit when she elects to learn to swim instead of keeping her floaties on.
~by Rachelle Jones Smith (@writerachelle), art by Jairalin Repalbor
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DAY 20: Gabi Snyder, author of COUNT ON US!
“As a young adult I went skiing for the first time with friends who were seasoned skiers. They said they could teach me to ski and we got in line for an intermediate slope. I could barely stand in the skis. The idea of starting with an intermediate slope terrified me. Even the chairlift terrified me! So another friend and I happily took the chicken exit and spent the afternoon taking lessons on the bunny hill. The chicken exit was definitely the right choice!”
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I hope you enjoyed Days 18-20! Now, I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways on Twitter and Instagram. Today I’m announcing the winners!!
First up, we have the winner of the Twitter giveaway:
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If you’ve missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Angie Lucas, Braver than Brave, Chicken Exit, Count on us, Gabi Snyder, Giveaway, Jairalin Repalbor, Mermaids don't wear floaties, My Big Dumb Invisible Dragon, Rachelle Jones Smith, winners26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 15 – 17
Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 15-17 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
On with the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 15-17 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 15: Girlie
“My friends wanted to do a play and I decided to do it with them, but I don’t like being looked at by a lot of people, so more or less stage fright. So my friends hyped me up and I just didn’t look at anyone in the audience, and everything went well.”
Hope you enjoyed DAYS 15-17! In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I’ve got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter HERE. And one on Instagram, which you can enter HERE. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever Book Depository delivers. Good luck!
Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Amy Sonnichsen, Braver than Brave, Chicken Exit, Facing down the Chicken Exit, Red Butterfly26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 11-14
Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 11-14 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 11: Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY!
“I thought ‘The Little Mermaid’ roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself “I am a 43 year old woman, I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.” So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.”
DAY 13: Wendy MacKnight, author of THE FRAME-UP
“I was 9 years old, the last kid on my street to ride a bike because I was scared of falling. “Enough,” I said finally, staring down the slight incline at the top of my street. It took five tries, a few falls, but I did it – total bike boss, chicken no more!”
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DAY 14: Fort Builders, Inc. Team
The Fort Builders team faced their chicken exit when all their hard work was destroyed and they had to decide whether to give up or find a way to make it work!
~by Dee Romito, art by Marta Kissi
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In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I’ve got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter HERE. And one on Instagram, which you can enter HERE. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever Book Depository delivers. Good luck!
Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Bedtime Daddy, Braver than Brave, Chicken Exit, Chicken Frank Dinosaur, Dee Romito, Facing down the Chicken Exit, Fort Builders Inc., Jojo Ensslin, Marta Kissi, S.K. Wenger, Sharon Giltrow, The Frame-up, Wendy Macknight26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 8-10
Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 8-10 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 8: Picture Book Character
Diante in BRAVE IN THE WATER does (spoiler alert!) finally put his face in the water instead of running away.
~by Stephanie Wildman, illustrated by Jenni Feidler Aguilar
DAY 9: Casey Lyall, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS
“My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄”
DAY 10: Picture Book Character
Shailey, from HELP WANTED: MUST LOVE BOOKS, faced down her chicken exit by standing up for herself to find a new bedtime storyteller. ~by Janet Sumner Johnson & illustrated by Courtney Dawson
There we have Days 8-10! In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I’ve got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter HERE. And one on Instagram, which you can enter HERE. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever Book Depository delivers. Good luck!
Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Brave in the Water, Braver than Brave, Casey Lyall, Chicken Exit, Courtney Dawson, Jenni Feidler-Aguilar, release day countdown, Stephanie Wildman26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 5 – 7
Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 5-7 of 26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit!
DAY 5: Patricia Bailey, author of The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan
My husband wanted to learn to paraglide and wanted me to learn with him. So, despite being AFRAID of HEIGHTS and easily MOTION SICK, I agreed.
I kited on the training hill. (FUN!)
I took a tandem paragliding ride off of the top launch of the mountain. (SCARY and MOTION SICK MAKING! NOT FUN!)
But despite being scared and sick, I decided to pluck up my courage and keep trying.
So, I learned how to handle the wing (FUN!) and how wind works (INTERESTING!) until I was able to I fly by myself off the training hill (SO MUCH FUN!)
Then it was time to put all that training to work and fly for real off the middle launch of the very big mountain.
One by one my training partners launched off the mountain. One by one they soared over the trees, navigated the power lines, and landed in the field below.
Then it was my turn. I looked the treetops below and the power lines in the distance. I thought about what I’d learned, and I thought about all the things I needed to remember in order to fly down safely and land. And I knew that the minute my feet left the ground it was all me. I knew if I was too scared I would crash.
And I knew I was too scared.
So I took the Chicken Exit. I stayed on the ground and cheered the others on while they soared through the air again and again. (FUN!)
I’m still not sure what kind of bird I’ll be in the future – if someday I’ll fly off the mountain or if I’ll stay close to the ground forever. I’ll just keep picking my brave day to day and we’ll see.
DAY 6: PB Character
Big Sister and Little Sister in WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN faced down their chicken exit when escaping war with nothing by creating their own toys and keeping hope alive. ~by Janie Reinart and illustrated by Morgan Taylor
DAY 7: Dee Romito, author of FORT BUILDERS, INC.
“When I was teaching, we went on a field trip to Rock City. We had to take the “swinging” bridge, walking on creaky wooden slats across the empty space below. My students thought it was funny that I was so scared and made sure that bridge shook. When I got across, a bunch of the kids were already there. “How did you get across?” I asked. They pointed and said, “We took the stone bridge.” If I had known I had the option, I would have totally chickened out!”
Voila! Days 5-7. In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I’ve got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter HERE. And one on Instagram, which you can enter HERE. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever Book Depository delivers. Good luck!
Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
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Braver than Brave, Dee Romito, Fort Builders Inc., Janie Reinart, Morgan Taylor, release day countdown, Water Makes Mud26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAY 1
My next Picture Book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, comes out in 26 days!!! (August 1, 2022) It’s illustrated by the amazing Eunji Jung, and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone Imprint. Woo hoo!!!!
I’m counting down with 26 days of Facing The Chicken Exit, and today is DAY 1. Here we go!
DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit
When my kids were young, we went to an amusement park that had some amazing rollercoasters. My kids were little, but middle child was determined to go on the smallest of them. We waited in line, but the closer he got, the less certain he was about riding it.
We got to the front, and lo and behold, we found this “Chicken Exit.” That moment became a key moment for him as he had to decide what to do.
It also became the inspiration for my upcoming book BRAVER THAN BRAVE! So of course we had to take a trip back to that very amusement park to visit the inspirational Chicken Exit and get some pictures.
Here he is, standing in that exit now that he’s grown and more experienced. Oh how I wish I had a picture of him back then. It was an easy decision to march past it this time, but little him really struggled. Little him HATED the idea of going through that chicken exit, but the roller coaster was big & scary.
