Summer Seeds Were Sown

What an amazing summer book tour!

It was inspiring to interact with customers and attendees at both Barnes & Noble locations around Utah and at two library events. Several books were sold (ABCs of Fantaseeds), but most importantly, the Fantaseeds did their job and planted seeds in the minds and hearts of those who gave them a chance.

Each event consisted of an opportunity to hear the story read by myself, a scavenger hunt for the alphabet, coloring pages, conversations about the origin of the Fantaseeds (mostly their names), and, of course, book signings. It was great to hear many children comment on how cute and cool certain Fantaseeds were, and there were definitely favorites.

Our first two events were where Durt stood out among the rest. When coloring pages were offered and several Fantaseeds were in the running, we ran out of Durt coloring pages by the end of those events.

Many comments were made about the pups of Talitha, Pitdrool and Tillamutt, during the Provo Library event.

Jawble coloring pages kept running out at each event as well, which said a lot about its popularity.

Crocapile took the spotlight at the last few events this summer; several customers loved the concept of a crocodile swimming and hiding in fallen leaves rather than the traditional swamp water.

But, there was one Fantaseed that took the summer by storm and quite honestly surprised even me—Orswald, our pumpkin-headed friend with a toothy grin. SO many comments were made about Orswald, and when asked which one they wanted to learn about, Orswald always managed to be the first pick.

I learned a lot from this debut tour. I was so pleased with the level of interest from everyone I chatted with. After my visit to the Orem Barnes & Noble, it became apparent that there was a need for a Spanish translation of the ABCs of Fantaseeds. I am pleased to announce that a Spanish translation of this book (ABCs de Fantaseeds) is now available at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with several other small online bookstores carrying it as well.

The ABCs of Fantaseeds was such a joy to write, illustrate, and promote over the first half of this year. Now, it is time to expand and continue sharing more of the world of Fantaseeds with all of you. There are major plans in the works with no signs or expectations of slowing down. The floodgates are open, and the Fantaseeds want the world to know who they are!

I am also pleased to announce that the first-ever activity/coloring book of the Fantaseeds is now available TODAY!

Fill-It-In: A Fantaseeds Activity & Coloring Book promises pages upon pages of entertainment for a range of children ages zero and up. This book is filled with not only coloring pages but also word scrambles, word searches, mazes, create-your-own drawings, tracing both letters for names and words as well as numbers. There is even a challenging crossword puzzle at the end to test your newfound knowledge of the Fantaseeds.

It is currently available on Amazon (Fill-It-In: A Fantaseeds Activity & Coloring Book).

Again, I wanted to thank you all for your support and genuine interest in the Fantaseeds. It is a world that has been seventeen years in the making (to date). I have many stories that I want to share with you. After my first couple of events, it became very clear that I need to tell stories my growing audience wants to read. So, before I end this summer update, I have one more announcement.

Orswald, the fan favorite, will be receiving his very own story and be the first of many in a separate series from Learn & Grow with the Fantaseeds, called Fantaseed Fables. This story will follow Orswald as he tries to tackle big emotions over a devastating situation. I cannot wait for all the illustrations and careful editing to be complete so that you too can enjoy, Orswald Patches Things Up: A Fantaseed Fable.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you all again next season!