Children's Story Hour at Explore Booksellers

 

Finding Time

 

    There is one thing we could all use a little more of, time. I thought of writing this blog a few hours ago and here I am finally finding the time.  When someone thinks of an author or illustrator, most likely a vision forms in their head of endless amounts of time relaxing with a cup of joe hitting the keys or grabbing a paint brush a top a snowy mountain or grassland retreat.  When in all reality, most of us live busy lives, squeezing in time where we can, to write and illustrate. 

    Is it just me or is every time I go to write or illustrate I get what seems to be an urgent email or a notification on my phone? Or is it my white board in my home office lurking over my shoulder pinching my creative time: sign up for ski race, sign waivers, taxes, class snack for the Valentine party, record book sales, LAX sign up, high school course selection recording… you get the picture.  There is also that clock that looks at me, telling me the kids pick up times are approaching soon.  What can I fit in?  It takes time to set up my painting station (Much of my painting is done at our dining room table.)

    Then there is of course the natural distraction of a beautiful day like today. That ski mountain sure looks nice out there!

    To complete “ABC Healthy,” I gave myself a timeline of how many paintings to get done per week. At the time I had two sons, one in school and one that took nice long afternoon naps.  Nap time was painting time for me.  “Dolphins Don’t Eat Donuts” was completed when all three of my kids were in Elementary school and preschool.   When I was writing and illustrating “Ski Bird and Powder Piggy: Race to the Top,” I spent many ski days indoors working on the task at hand.  I forced myself to find the time. 

    After "Ski Bird and Powder Piggy: Race to the Top" was released in the fall of 2022, I spent time going to stores, libraries and schools to read my newest book to children.  This winter (2023-24), I have been forcing myself to fine tune my craft and work on many projects.  Now I need more time for all my ideas that pour in my mind. 

    I am currently working on a middle grade novel (current status: 5 out of about 30 chapters), illustrations for a bedtime picture book (current status: 7 out of 32 illustrations, but I may change all of them), young adult novel (current status: developmental stages), and a cookbook that I have been working on for quite some time (current status: 10 pages in word, a sketch book filled with recipes, and many photographs of my cooking creations over the years).  I also have another “Ski Bird and Powder Piggy” book that is written, but no illustrations yet.  My plan was to make it a series, but I just need to find the time!

    Aside from the last paragraph of what fills my creative time, there is a countless amount of time spent on printing, publishing, distributing, and marketing. 

    When I do squeeze in the time to write and illustrate, I do like to relax with a cup of coffee, dark chocolate almonds, 90s hits on my portable speaker, and grab a paint bush while I look out at the snowy peaks.  So maybe sometimes it is like a retreat.  I just need to find the time to create my own little writing and illustrating retreats a top my snowy mountain.  

 

One of my latest illustrations for a new bedtime picture book.

 

 

PS: If you find the time and enjoy my books please visit goodreads.com to review and give my books 5 stars! 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: All images belong to Julianne Stokes. Please do not copy.

From the top:

Clock: Original illustration by Julianne Stokes

Snowy mountain photograph: Julianne Stokes

Coffee pic: Julianne Stokes

Sunshine and rainbow illustration: Original illustration by Julianne Stokes

"Ski Bird and Powder Piggy" Book Launch Finale!

 

Book Launch Party!!!

 

NEW BOOK!!!

Coming Soon! 9.2.22 

Ski Bird and Powder Piggy: Race to the Top

SKI BIRD AND POWDER PIGGY: RACE TO THE TOP, written and illustrated by Julianne Stokes will be released this Labor Day Weekend! Stokes will be touring stores in Aspen during the month of September to celebrate her third children’s picture book.  You can follow Stokes on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @jstokesart.com. 

 

 SKI BIRD AND POWDER PIGGY: RACE TO THE TOP will be available on Amazon and in select stores.

 

Ski Bird and Powder Piggy: Race to the Top Book Launch Tour 

Julianne Stokes is excited to visit her favorite shops in Aspen to share her new children’s picture book!  All events are free. Complementary goodies at The Aspen Emporium.  Food and drinks will be available for purchase at Harper and Hudson.  

When: Sunday, September 4, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Book Launch Party

Where: The Aspen Emporium and Flying Circus 315 E Main St, Aspen, CO 81611 

 

When: Saturday, September 10, 11:00 am Storytime followed by book signing until 1:00pm. 

Where: Explore Booksellers, 221 E Main St, Aspen, CO 81611 (masks required indoors) 

 

When: Sunday, September 25, 3:00 pm Book reading followed by Q&A and book signing with the author/illustrator.  

Where: Harper and Hudson, 409 S Hunter St, Aspen, CO 81611

Keep On Keeping On

Quick update on what I have been up to...

December of 2018 Explore Booksellers in Aspen, Colorado called on 6 local children's book authors, including myself to hold an event at the bookstore.  We kept in touch and are now 7 women who empower each other, learn from our different experiences, and move forward together in this world of self publishing.  We call ourselves Aspen Authors.  We even managed to through together a little website! aspenauthors.com 

We graced Explore Booksellers with our presence again this past December 2019!

On my writing and illustrating front I have been working on numerous illustrations for a mountain inspired book/series.  I am most likely not going to publish it until next ski season as I don't want to rush and I want everything to be just right.  Since it is a series I need to make sure I am consistent.

I have also been working on "Food is Fuel."  I put it off for some time because I thought I would need to become a nutritionist to write the book.  I have been advised that that is not necessarily true.  I feel a need and a trend for healthy books.  That is also what I am passionate about so it is only natural for me to proceed.  I was stuck for a while on what the book will look like, but it is becoming more clear and I look forward to seeing it grow.

I also make cute little hand painted cards for the Emporium and Flying Circus in Aspen, Colorado.  I feel as though creating the cards give me a break from my current work and help me expand my creative mind.   The Emporium is always very supportive of me and my books.  I love attending their holiday open house every December.  Just walking around the Emporium and taking in all of the local talent is inspiring.

Emporium and Flying Circus December 2019

Aspen Authors at Explore Booksellers December 2018
Photo Credit: Craig Turpin Aspen Daily News

Aspen Authors at Explore Booksellers December 2019

 

Dolphins Event at the Jersey Shore!

Viking Outfitters

1801 Bayview Ave

Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

Planning Summer 2019

Summer 2019 is just around the corner! 

Contact me today to be included on my Summer 2019 Book Tour in 

New Jersey and Colorado! 

 

 Don't hesitate to email me at julianne@jstokesart.com 

I can read and sign my books, "ABC Healthy" and "Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts." I provide coloring pages for my events.  If allowed at your store or library I will also bring a healthy refreshment.

Events perfect for ages 0-8 or anyone interested in meeting an author and illustrator.  

jstokesart.com

 

Happy Winter!

Happy Winter! If you are in #aspen tomorrow, Saturday, December 22, stop by #explorebooksellers from 10am-1pm to get a signed #dolphinsdonteatdonuts or #abchealthy book! I will be there with other #childrensbookauthors and #childrensbookillustrators

Aspen Valley Book Tour

Dolphins are Diving In Tomorrow!

The wait is over! Dolphins Don`t Eat Donuts will be available tomorrow, November 9, 2018!
Some lucky little ones got a sneak peak today!

Where to find Dolphins Don’t Eat Donuts 

Amazon Link

Emporium and Flying Circus- Aspen, CO

Sundance- Snowmass Village, CO

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts 

Expected Release October 2018

Food for Thought: Pun Intended

I was just thinking about comfort food.  If we are raised to eat healthy when we grow older and go through tough times our comfort food would be healthy food.  This healthy comfort food would ultimately make us actually physically feel better.  What if when we are feeling down we grabbed some sliced apple with cinnamon (something my mom made for me when I was a kid) instead of hitting up the drive through?  If you are already feeling down and turn to unhealthy foods you are going to just feel worse.  If you turn to foods that remind you of childhood where your parents/guardians taught you to eat well then your comfort food would not be such a bad thing.

Lollipop

I seem to have challenged myself with illustrating Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts.  I gave myself triple the work.  Instead of having one image for each picture I have been painting two paintings and then I combine them on Photoshop.  It is a three step process not including adding the final image and text together in InDesign.

Throughout the process I have been questioning myself as if this was the best way to go.  Of course I could turn back and start over.  No, just kidding!  No turning back now.  I am hoping to have Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts available this summer 2018.

I recently read an article in the Bulletin from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators about how your book is like your baby.  When it is finished it is like giving birth.  Well, I feel like I have been pregnant with this one for 4 years!

Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts was an idea I had before ABC Healthy.  I didn't know where to start so I thought having the structure of an ABC book would be a good start.

There is a certain pressure that comes with writing healthy books.  I have had a few snide remarks from people who don't care to live healthy lives at my events.  I had an editor tell me that the "Don't eat donuts, choose dates instead" line in my ABC book sounded too negative.  Um, yeah that is the point!

Today I worked on my "Horses eat apples" page for Dolphins.  I looked back to a picture of me on my pony from childhood to help with colors.  My pony's name was Lollipop.  This is just a bit ironic.

I do get a sweet tooth now and then.  Don't take me to an Italian restaurant and expect me to not finish with a Tiramisu.

I guess my point in writing healthy books is that we in America are out of control!  A lollipop at the fare as a kid is not going to make you fall over and die.  Let's just not binge on sugar and unnecessary ideas that eating junk food every day is going to lead to a happy life.  Eating and living healthy is a happy and healthy way to ward of disease and make us feel well day in and day out.  Let's raise our children with the idea that there are healthy treats out there.  The more healthy foods we consume the better we will feel.  After all Food is Fuel.

I am looking forward to spending more time with my third book, Food is Fuel. 

Event at Pangaea Naturals

Meet and Greet in Barnegat Light, NJ

Book Dummy Sketches

Here is a screen shot of a couple of pages from my book dummy for Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts.  I have 14 images down and 11 to go.  Next step will be researching publishers who are accepting submissions.  After I send out my work I will focus on my eBook cookbook, 123 Cook With Me which I plan on self-publishing.

Back to School Sale

Click Here to go to Amazon

Barnegat Light, NJ Event

Event Saturday, May 21 at 2pm