Brendan Flannelly-King and Good News Nelson

Story Pie Press is in production with its third title, Good News Nelson.  This adorable and heartwarming story was written by the talented Jodi Moore and will be illustrated by the equally talented Brendan Flannelly-King.

Here is a short introduction to our newest Story Pie Press artist:

Brendan Flannelly-King has been drawing and painting his whole life. He studied Illustration at Pratt Institute and has been freelancing as an illustrator and designer since graduating in 2004. He lives in Ashfield Massachusetts with his partner, son, goats, chickens and a crew of neighborhood cats.

Please feel free to visit Brendan on the web by clicking on the maze below:

...or follow the link here: http://www.brendanfliesakite.com/

Cheers,

Mary

Meaningful Holiday Gifts

If you are looking for gifts that are truly meaningful, that nurture a child's interest in good stories and reading, and that also give back in a major way, consider Story Pie Press' books for children. 

Samson's Tale tells the story of love and loyalty between a boy and his dog, with 30% of the proceeds going to Flashes of Hope!

The Day I Met The Nuts helps children realize that any challenge can be overcome, and that family and friends are there to help.  And  45% of the proceeds support Johns Hopkins Children's Center in their efforts to find a cure for food allergies.

So consider gifts that truly matter, books that care about the future of children!

Happy Holidays!

In case you haven't seen it yet....

The book trailer for Samson's Tale

Exploring the healing power of pets, Kathleen Spale's Interview with the Chicago Parent

Our wonderful Kathleen Spale was written up in the Chicago Parent for her integral part in Samson's Tale!  Please stop by to read this article, which highlights the reasons she decided to illustrate this special book.  Also, consider purchasing a copy for your library at home, or local library.  Remember, 30 percent of the proceeds goes to Flashes of Hope.  Both Samson's Tale and Flashes strive to give children with life threatening illnesses hope in the future!

Cheers,
Mary

Picture Book Idea Month, November 2011!

For all you children's book writers out there, or even those who secretly dream of writing for children, this month is a good month.  It's PiBoIdMo, otherwise known as Picture book Idea Month.  I absolutely love this idea and encourage you to participate (even next year...if you're too late to participate this year), as we never have enough good stories for children. 

Tara Lazar, the founder of PiBoIdMo, has asked me to be one of the guest bloggers for the month.  Every day, there's a new guest sharing what they know and love about writing for children.  Guests include editors, agents, and authors, among others.  So stop on by the site, read what all the guest bloggers have to say about writing for children and the magic of dreaming up picture book ideas.

~Mary

Ten Stories Up Interviews Carla Mooney

To find out the story behind Samson's Tale, visit the Ten Stories Up blog for an interview with Carla Mooney.  Though the story is fiction, Carla had a great deal of real life inspiration that got her writing this important and touching book.

Happy reading,
Mary

The Light The Night Walk on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at Heinz Field

Carla Mooney will be reading Samson's Tale in the kids area at LIGHT THE NIGHT at  6 pm this evening!  Light the Night is at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA, and honors the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Light The Night is a two mile walk where participants carry red illuminated balloons and cancer survivors carry white illuminated balloons. All proceeds go toward finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and Hodgkin's disease, while improving the lives of patients and their families.

~Mary