Number 10

Why would I write and illustrate a parody of my own books? Why not? It was fun and I got to add things I forgot in the original series. Stay tuned for Number 11 next year. For more details visit: https://www.gessosquad.com.

NYC ComicCon

Next year I will have enough saved up to get my own table at NYC ComicCon 2013. The cost of a small booth is $948 for the four day convention. Not sure yet if I'll commute or get a hotel room...attending ComicCon 2012 isn't an option right now for me financially, so we'll wait till next year....

Last week, I entered my first graphic novel into The American Library Association's Robert Sibert Informational Book Awards. The NAACP has a multicultural awards show every year honoring people in television, film and literature.

Earlier this week, I attended my first Toastmaster's International Meeting. They are a club who helps their members develop professional public speaking skills. Membership is affordable at $72 a year.  Participating in Toastmasters will help with my desire to speak at local schools about helmet safety.... We'll see....exciting things are happening....

New York Book Festival Results

Gesso Squad The Graphic Novel Volume One: 1,000 Star Demons and a Rain God won in the Comic Books category for the 2012 New York Book Festival. On June 22 the winners, finalists and runner-ups will recieve awards at the Grolier Club in New York.

National Indie Exellence Book Awards

I entered Gesso Squad the Graphic Novel Volume One: 1,000 Star Demons and a Rain God into the National Indie Excellence 2012 Book Awards Festival earlier this year. I received the results yesterday and as it turns out, we won the Indie Excellence Award in the Speciality Books Category. I didn't win a prize, but I'm happy with the results.  NIEA  posts a list of all the winners and finalists on their website.  They also advertise a list of the winners and finalists in Publisher's Weekly and Publisher's Daily with a banner ad linking to the site.

In September, I will get the results from the New York Book Festival and the Reader's Favorite Book Awards.

Adventures with bn.com and ComicCon...

GESSO SQUAD The graphic novel volume one: 1,000 Star Demons and a Rain god will be available on Barnes and Noble.com next month. This will allow people to not only purchase them online, but in stores too. I hope to get all of my book into Barnes and Nobles Stores. This, I think, should be a little easier since some of them are already being sold on the Barnes and Noble.com website.

I also plan to attend New York ComicCon this year and I hope to have my own book table...

Contests and Cameo Appearences

Recently, someone asked me if a character from my GESSO SQUAD series, Dr. Brent Winsor, was really an alternate version of myself. I laughed when I initially heard this...As far as I'm concerned, just because one of my characters has short black hair and glasses doesn't me she is an secret version of myself. To prove this, I'm going to make a cameo appearance in my third Gesso Squad Graphic Novel.

I've also entered GESSO SQUAD The Graphic Novel Volume One: 1,000 Star Demons and a Rain God (February 2012) into two book contests: The New York Book Festival and the National Indie Excellence Book Awards.  I will get the results from both sometime in June and July....

A small test

Let's see how many people are reading this blog...

I'm in the process of selling my books on Barnes and Noble.com and maybe getting them into Barnes and Noble Book stores. From reading the directions on the bn website, it seems fairly easy. They just need your ISBN and a copy of your book plus other information. I've also considered sending extra used copies I have at home to Powell's Books. They offer the option to sell your used books online as well in their stores. I have no control over the book prices on Lulu. However, I think one way to get people to buy more books could be to sell them used which would lower the cost. Especially since the Graphic Novels are all being printed in color and can get a little expensive. I think selling them Barnes and Noble and Powell's is a good idea.

Lulu Coupons!
Get 20% OFF on Gesso Squad Books  Enter Code: SWEET and save up to $200 dollars on lulu.com. Offer expires February 23, 2012
OR
 Get 25% OFF on Gesso Squad Books: SALTY and save up to $400 dollars on lulu.com. Offer expires February 23, 2012.