Karma Wilson's Blog, page 2

The Cow Loves Cookies! Illustration process

 

This is a link to the blog of Marcellus Hall, illustrator of The Cow Loves Cookies. He posted a comparison of the beginning art samples for the book to the end pieces. The transformation from  concept to final art is amazing, and I think it's interesting to those of you wondering about the illustration process.

Booklist seems to appreciate the efforts of the talented Mr. Hall . The Booklist review said, "The big, clear watercolor pictures with thick ink lines leave lots of white space, and the simple rhyming lines, with descriptive words and messy action, will encourage preschoolers to join in." 

Well deserved praise. Bravo!

They said some very lovely things about my writing as well.

The Cow Loves Cookies can be preordered on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Summer!

I'm back after an embarrassingly long absence. I'm in this difficult adjustment period leading up to "empty nest syndrome". My oldest is almost 18 and we are helping him prepare for college, navigate high school, etc… Add to all that the fact that I am almost 40. Oy. Can anybody say, "Big life changes".  I have struggled this last year with inspiration (or should I say "lack of inspiration").

But summer is here now, a sunny respite from the hurry and worry of life. And with the summer months has come a refreshing rush of creativity and renewed sense of purpose. Part of that purpose is staying more connected with my readers and focusing on creating.

Tomorrow I will post some news about my upcoming book "The Cow Loves Cookies" which will be released in early July. I am very excited about this book, and I hope you all enjoy it. It is fast becoming a favorite read aloud during school visits. Kirkus gave it a starred review!

 

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Hey honey! Pumpkin pie!

I'm posting my favorite pumpkin pie recipe just in time for Thanksgiving! And it's fitting because the sweetener used is honey, which of course Bear loves.

I want to start by saying that I *recommend* you use fresh pumpkin. I know, I know… I can hear you now. "My snarky relatives are coming, there are a million things to cook, and who has time to process pumpkin for pie? This this isn't the Plymouth Plantation ya know!"

If you have no time, then canned pumpkin is fine, but really processing pumpkin is easy. So easy you don't even need pumpkin! Any hard orange- fleshed squash will do, including the readily available butternut. Jack-O-lantern pumpkins will work, but Sugar pumpkins especially grown for baking are optimal. And get this—no peeling or boiling required.

How to Process Fresh Pumpkin

Stab the pumpkin or squash a few times(pretend it's your snarkiest relative and relieve some pent up frustration), and throw it on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until a knife inserted goes in easily. Let cool. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, and carefully scoop and discard seeds. Scoop out the flesh away from the skin and pop it in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. You now have the most beautiful, bright orange pumpkin you've ever seen in your life.

If you used regular Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins you may want to put the pumpkin in a fine strainer set in a bowl for a few hours. Jack pumpkins have high water content. Squash or baking pumpkins don't usually require this step. You are now ready to bake a pie. If you skipped this step and opened a can of Libby's I won't be mad, but I will insist you are missing out on a real treat. Fresh pumpkin is better than canned. Trust me.

Honey Pumpkin Pie

I don't bake too often with honey. The added liquid content can throw off a recipe. The flavor isn't compatible with everything (though it' works for quick breads absolutely marvelously). But honey and pumpkin are literally made for each other. The first time I made honey pumpkin pie I swore I would never go back and I haven't. My whole family raves. So does anybody else who tastes it.

This Honey Pumpkin Pie recipe makes two large pies.

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or spice to taste)
• 1.5 cups honey
• 2 deep dish pie shells
• 3.5 cups pumpkin or 1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree.

Preparation
In large bowl mix all ingredients except pie shells until smooth. Pour into shells. Bake at 400F for 15 mins. Turn oven to 350 and bake for about 30 more minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Be sure to cover with tinfoil tent if pie browns too quickly.

Serve with Honey Whipped Cream, if desired. (To make honey whipped cream just whip up heavy cream and carefully fold in a few tablespoons room temp honey and a small splash of vanilla or almond extract—I prefer the latter).

I leave you with a picture. I don't have a picture of pie, but I do have a cute picture with a pumpkin in it. Two if you count the adorable child.

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Giving Thanks…

 

Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday of the year. People expect less of me than they do on Christmas. Cooking is one of my hobbies. I adore Turkey. And I have a lot to be thankful for.

We tend to list the big things we are thankful for each year. But it goes without saying that I am grateful for my family, friends, career, house, pets…etc…etc…

What are some of the small things you feel thankful for? I'll go first.

Farm fresh brown eggs.

Coffee in the morning.

Slip on shoes.

A child's sense of humor.

That my favorite authors existed.

The hutch my husband built me.

Making apple butter.

The smell of my favorite spices.

Family jokes.

There's just a few. It's fun to sit down and take a moment to think of the small things we so easily overlook that have contributed to our joy and content.

Happy thanksgiving.  

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Contest Now Closed! Good luck!

New Giveaway on Oct. 30th

This contest is open to anybody and everybody!  I'm giving away one signed copy of Mr. Murry and Thumbkin (sadly out of print) and one signed copy of  Bear Feels Scared.  There can only be one winner per household.

To enter this contest you just need to vote for which book you want to be in Cheerios boxes! Vote here: (Vote for whichever book you like, but my feelings wouldn't be hurt if you choose Bear's New Friend.) When you've voted visit my contest page and fill out the information. In the spot to answer the question put "yes, I voted". I will number entries in order received and select a winner with a random number generator.

Good luck!

Karma

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Vote for Bear's New Friend!

Cheerios Spoonful of Stories literacy project is holding a vote for books that will appear inside of boxes of Cheerios, and BEAR NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Vote for Bear!

To recap, Spoonful of Stories is a great project designed to get free books into the hands of young kids. Millions of quality children's books are printed in itty-bitty kid-sized copies and put in specially marked Cheerios boxes! Talk about the best cereal prize ever!Books to read!

Bear's New Friend is behind and Bear needs your help. VOTE. And you can vote daily too.

Here's How To Vote

1. Click on this link.

2. Click on the "MORE BOOKS" link at the bottom of the page.

3.  Vote for Bear's New Friend.

4. Remember to visit the site daily to vote again!

I thank you all for your support! And I apologize for the shameful begging.

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Sleepyhead in Spoonful of Stories!

Great news! Sleepyhead was chosen to be a Spoonful of Stories book.  This is exciting because it means that my book is getting right where every children's author dreams their books will end up–the hands of kids.

Spoonful of Stories is a literacy project that is a joint effort of Cheerios and First Book (children's literacy charity). This time the news gets even better though– every book will have the story printed in both English and Spanish!

If you'd like to learn more about this great project or just discuss literature in general, the awesome Mom It Forward blog is hosting a Twitter chat tomorrow and I'm a panel member! Hope to see ya there. Here's some info.

What: Cheerios is sponsoring this week's #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
When: Tuesday, October 13, 9-11 p.m. EST
Where: Check back to access our custom Tweetgrid link this Monday. (Use hashtags #gno and #cheerios.)
Topic: Children's literature
Who: @banteringblonde @cheeriosbrand @childhood @derek_author @keeperofthecheerios @LeighannMMM @oohamanda, @robinglasser @karmawilson
Party Favors: Click here to check out this week's giveaway sponsored by Cheerios.
RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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An interview on The Writer's Journey

I did a very fun and introspective interview for Meredeth Resnick at her blog, The Writer's Journey. Check it out! She really made me think.

K….

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

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Million Dollar Mama

I have a confession, Ultimate Fighting (commonly referred to as Mixed Martial Arts--or MMA) is my favorite sport…me a middle-aged picture book author and mother of three. But isn’t Ultimate Fighting dangerous and lacking the rules and regulations of more main-stream sports like boxing? I used to think so.



Honestly, I was never a sports fan. I’ve always been hopelessly uncoordinated and terrible at every sport I tried (is pie-eating a sport?--it‘s the only thing I‘ve won). Fighting of any sort never appealed to me, certainly not Ultimate Fighting.



Then my husband convinced me to take a martial arts class with him “just to get in shape”.  We found an MMA school and joined.



The instructor assured me MMA incorporates many rules for the safety of the fighters. Unlike boxing, there’s never been a death during a sanctioned MMA fight. MMA is a combination of wrestling, kickboxing, and submission grappling. And because MMA isn’t just about power, a smaller person can beat a much larger untrained person--making it great self defense for women.



I didn’t exactly fit in with the twenty-something males at the gym. I flopped around helplessly sure I would never “get it“.  With time and hard work I eventually did and the impossible happened, I was loving a sport. After all, how many middle-aged women can do something as impressive sounding as a “rear naked choke”? (nobody is naked, and as long as you tap out if you are caught in one, nobody is choked.) 



I no longer describe myself as a “klutz” and I owe it all to “Ultimate Fighting”. It may not be for everyone, but for me it is the Ultimate rush!



Get more on Karma Wilson at SimonandSchuster.com