Aileen Stewart's Blog, page 39
May 26, 2011
Fan Mail
Every author at some point in his/her career has either thought about or dreamed of receiving fan mail; that little note of encouragement or appreciation. As a children's author, I find myself looking forward to letters from children who have enjoyed Fern Valley. Although Fern Valley is my first book and was only released in March of this year, I have received two such letters already. The joy that I felt upon receiving those two letters was almost akin to the joy I felt upon giving birth to my beautiful daughter.
To read what the children thought of my characters and the stories was so exciting. To read that one little girl couldn't wait for my next book and that she thought it would be just "wonderful" almost brought me to tears. It is these small rewards that make writing so gratifying. The fact that I have the ability to touch someone's life through words on paper is a gift of overwhelming value.
Sometimes fan mail can turn out to be a cherished keepsake as well. Take for instance the mailing tube recently left for me at my local Barnes and Noble store that contained a very large sketch of my daughter sitting on my lap while reading my book. The attached letter from a retired grocery worker and amateur artist stated that he often used photos found in local newspapers for sketching material and that he had absolutely loved the photo of my daughter and I that had accompanied the article about my book. He went on to state that his father had at one time written several books but had never had the privilege of being published and that he hoped I would go on to sell a million copies of my book.
Not only did this man share with me words of encouragement and best wishes, he shared with me a part of himself. We made a connection in a world where people pass each other on a daily basis without so much as a simple hello. He took the time to let me know that that he shared in my joy and accomplishment. I plan on framing the sketch so lovingly drawn for me and my family and finding a place of honor for it.
So to all my fellow authors, I encourage you to enjoy your fan mail to the fullest truly recognizing what it stands for; and to all my fellow readers, I say thank you for for the privilege of being a part of your lives. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
To read what the children thought of my characters and the stories was so exciting. To read that one little girl couldn't wait for my next book and that she thought it would be just "wonderful" almost brought me to tears. It is these small rewards that make writing so gratifying. The fact that I have the ability to touch someone's life through words on paper is a gift of overwhelming value.
Sometimes fan mail can turn out to be a cherished keepsake as well. Take for instance the mailing tube recently left for me at my local Barnes and Noble store that contained a very large sketch of my daughter sitting on my lap while reading my book. The attached letter from a retired grocery worker and amateur artist stated that he often used photos found in local newspapers for sketching material and that he had absolutely loved the photo of my daughter and I that had accompanied the article about my book. He went on to state that his father had at one time written several books but had never had the privilege of being published and that he hoped I would go on to sell a million copies of my book.
Not only did this man share with me words of encouragement and best wishes, he shared with me a part of himself. We made a connection in a world where people pass each other on a daily basis without so much as a simple hello. He took the time to let me know that that he shared in my joy and accomplishment. I plan on framing the sketch so lovingly drawn for me and my family and finding a place of honor for it.
So to all my fellow authors, I encourage you to enjoy your fan mail to the fullest truly recognizing what it stands for; and to all my fellow readers, I say thank you for for the privilege of being a part of your lives. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
May 3, 2011
Silas Marner Book Vs Movie
In my high school literature class many years ago (and I'm not telling how many years ago) I read a book called Silas Marner written by George Elliot. Now it just so happens that George Elliot was a pen name for a woman named Mary Ann Evans. Why do you ask did Ms. Mary write under a male pen name? The answer is simple. Silas Marner was published in 1861 during a time that women were considered basically unable to think for themselves.
Silas Marner was a tale of a man betrayed, and who because of that betrayal became a hermit. Through a chain of events in which he had no control over, Silas Marner was robbed of his gold and instead of wealth, found himself with a toddler on his hands. Although crotchety and anti-social towards adults, Silas Marner had a lonely place in his heart that was touched by the child whom he kept and raised as his own. Many years later, events connected with that long ago theft threatened to rob him of the daughter he had grown to love. It was a masterful tale of love and hate, greed and gain, loss and replenishment, bitterness and joy, superbly told; and the highlight of my high school reading assignments. It was a piece I truly never forgot.
So you will imagine my surprise when I discovered a movie entitled A Simple Twist of Fate, written and produced by Steve Martin of all people was a modern day remake of Silas Marner. Although brought into the twentieth century and sprinkled with bits of comedy, as a Steve Martin movie should be, A Simple Twist of Fate managed to stay true to the main themes in Silas Marner. So if you want my advice, you should read the book and watch the movie. Not only as a comparison of tales, but as an example of how a classic story can be modernized and made into a movie worth watching. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
Silas Marner was a tale of a man betrayed, and who because of that betrayal became a hermit. Through a chain of events in which he had no control over, Silas Marner was robbed of his gold and instead of wealth, found himself with a toddler on his hands. Although crotchety and anti-social towards adults, Silas Marner had a lonely place in his heart that was touched by the child whom he kept and raised as his own. Many years later, events connected with that long ago theft threatened to rob him of the daughter he had grown to love. It was a masterful tale of love and hate, greed and gain, loss and replenishment, bitterness and joy, superbly told; and the highlight of my high school reading assignments. It was a piece I truly never forgot.
So you will imagine my surprise when I discovered a movie entitled A Simple Twist of Fate, written and produced by Steve Martin of all people was a modern day remake of Silas Marner. Although brought into the twentieth century and sprinkled with bits of comedy, as a Steve Martin movie should be, A Simple Twist of Fate managed to stay true to the main themes in Silas Marner. So if you want my advice, you should read the book and watch the movie. Not only as a comparison of tales, but as an example of how a classic story can be modernized and made into a movie worth watching. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
April 29, 2011
A Book of Value
There are several books in our home that we use frequently, read often, and think highly of. Offhand, I would say the Bible, Young's Concordance,The American Heritage Dictionary, and a myriad of cookbooks probably top the list. Then there are the favorites in my daughters collection; namely The Little Red Hen, Goodnight Moon, Anything Dr. Seuss, Biscuit books, Harry The Dirty Dog, Watch Out For The Chicken Feet In Your Soup,and Geraldine's Blanket. But the book which has given us the most value and pleasure, besides the Bible, is A Guide To Field Identification-Birds of North America.
I have owned this book for many years; twenty-four years to be exact. I owned this book before I married my first husband, and I used it to identify backyard specimens. After I married, we used it on camping trips with our nieces and spent many a happy hike looking for birds we had never personally seen before. When my first husband passed away, I must admit this book sat idle on the shelf for a few years, but I imagine that is understandable.
But since remarrying several years ago and giving birth to a lively young daughter who is interested in everything around her, A Guide To Field Identification once again became the book of choice. Not only do we use it to identify the ever changing variety of birds that visit our backyard feeders, we use it to identify birds we see wherever we travel. Just a few weeks ago we used it to identify a Yellow-Shafted Flicker of the female persuasion. While apparently, Flickers are quite common,It was a new and pleasant experience for the three of us to view one.
I know that this particular book, originally purchased for $6.95, has given me and numerous family members an immeasurable amount of pleasure for many years and will probably continue to do so for many more.Which leads me to ask, What book do you own that you consider "A Book of Value"? Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
I have owned this book for many years; twenty-four years to be exact. I owned this book before I married my first husband, and I used it to identify backyard specimens. After I married, we used it on camping trips with our nieces and spent many a happy hike looking for birds we had never personally seen before. When my first husband passed away, I must admit this book sat idle on the shelf for a few years, but I imagine that is understandable.
But since remarrying several years ago and giving birth to a lively young daughter who is interested in everything around her, A Guide To Field Identification once again became the book of choice. Not only do we use it to identify the ever changing variety of birds that visit our backyard feeders, we use it to identify birds we see wherever we travel. Just a few weeks ago we used it to identify a Yellow-Shafted Flicker of the female persuasion. While apparently, Flickers are quite common,It was a new and pleasant experience for the three of us to view one.
I know that this particular book, originally purchased for $6.95, has given me and numerous family members an immeasurable amount of pleasure for many years and will probably continue to do so for many more.Which leads me to ask, What book do you own that you consider "A Book of Value"? Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
April 7, 2011
Reading Do's and Don'ts
I am a prolific reader, a writer, a published author; so it stands to reason that I would promote reading. And I do. I encourage both children and adults to read. I promote reading silently; I promote reading out loud. I promote reading newspapers, magazines, articles, books, pamphlets, tracts, and so forth. I'll shout it from the mountain tops in a Seuss like form. Read in the city, the bathroom, the park. Read in the morning or after it's dark. Read to your self or to your best friend. As long as you read again and again.
But rhyming aside, I would like to say there are some reading related instances that I've seen which cause me to pause or even to cringe; and one of those things I witnessed this morning. As I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at school, I saw a man reading a newspaper at a red light. So what's wrong with that you might ask? Well, normally I would say nothing if it was not for the fact that the man continued to read as the light turned green and he made a left hand turn. Not only did he read his paper as he turned the corner, he glanced quickly at the road in front of him and then back at his newspaper for several seconds.
I used to think people who talked on their cell phones while driving were one of society's greatest menaces; but after seeing "Newspaper Man" reading while driving, I now relegate that offense to a distant second. Reading is indeed a wonderful thing, taking us to far off places that we might never know of otherwise, increasing our knowledge of the world around us, giving us a break from realities and problems that might otherwise overwhelm us. But, reading should never, never cause us to be a danger to ourselves or others around us. So my advice to "Newspaper Man" is to either get up a few minutes early so you have time to read the paper, or wait until you get to wherever you are going. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
But rhyming aside, I would like to say there are some reading related instances that I've seen which cause me to pause or even to cringe; and one of those things I witnessed this morning. As I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at school, I saw a man reading a newspaper at a red light. So what's wrong with that you might ask? Well, normally I would say nothing if it was not for the fact that the man continued to read as the light turned green and he made a left hand turn. Not only did he read his paper as he turned the corner, he glanced quickly at the road in front of him and then back at his newspaper for several seconds.
I used to think people who talked on their cell phones while driving were one of society's greatest menaces; but after seeing "Newspaper Man" reading while driving, I now relegate that offense to a distant second. Reading is indeed a wonderful thing, taking us to far off places that we might never know of otherwise, increasing our knowledge of the world around us, giving us a break from realities and problems that might otherwise overwhelm us. But, reading should never, never cause us to be a danger to ourselves or others around us. So my advice to "Newspaper Man" is to either get up a few minutes early so you have time to read the paper, or wait until you get to wherever you are going. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
March 29, 2011
Looking For A Children's Book Reviewer?
All writers know that book reviews can be a great way to get the word out about a new book. The hard part is sifting through the thousands of reviewers that can be found online. My criteria for a good book reviewer is as follows: First their site must look attractive, be easy to navigate, and their reviews must be of high quality. This is not to say that every book will receive a good review (honesty is important) but that the reviewer took the time to explain what was great about the book or what was lacking in a friendly and non-combative way. Secondly, they must review for the love of literacy and not for the love of money. I want to be sure when I receive a review good or bad that it is on the merit of my writing and not on the merit of my pocket book! And thirdly, I want a reviewer that actually reads my book. If a reviewer is claiming to have read a thousand books in one year let's say, then there is a good probability that they aren't really reading all the books or that they are just skimming the books. My book is important to me and I want it to be important to the reviewer.
So to this effect, I have put together a list of six children's book review sites that I feel meet these criteria. I seriously suggest before sending any book to a reviewer or review site, that you send a query e-mail briefly describing your book and asking if there is an interest (many times contact information is available on the site). If no e-mail contact information is mentioned, be sure to send a short letter with your book thanking them for taking the time to review your work.
1. Stories for children e-zine magazine
2. National Geographic Kids
3. Christian Children's book Review
4. Booklist Online
5. BookReview.com
6. Biblio Reads
And as a last note, always remember to send a personal thank you to any reviewer that reviews your book. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
So to this effect, I have put together a list of six children's book review sites that I feel meet these criteria. I seriously suggest before sending any book to a reviewer or review site, that you send a query e-mail briefly describing your book and asking if there is an interest (many times contact information is available on the site). If no e-mail contact information is mentioned, be sure to send a short letter with your book thanking them for taking the time to review your work.
1. Stories for children e-zine magazine
2. National Geographic Kids
3. Christian Children's book Review
4. Booklist Online
5. BookReview.com
6. Biblio Reads
And as a last note, always remember to send a personal thank you to any reviewer that reviews your book. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
March 9, 2011
The Power of Persistence
The power of persistence is about more then just not giving up. The power of persistence is about not letting a little two letter word like "no" intimidate you. Sure, nobody likes to hear no, especially when it comes to your book. After all, your book is like your child, you gave it life, you nurtured it, and now you are trying to send it out into the world. But no is a word you will hear often in the publishing business. You will be rejected many times when you send out your manuscript; and if you are blessed enough to finally hear a yes we love it, don't think that is the end of hearing no.
When you begin to market your book you will probably hear no over and over again, but don't think of no as a negative. Each time someone tells you no, that just means you have not yet asked the right person. The world is full of billions of people that you have not yet spoken with, people that might just be waiting for what you have to offer. It would be a horrible thing if the very day you decided you had heard no enough and threw in the towel, unbeknown-st to you the next person you would have spoken to would have said yes. So turn no into your own personal motivator, thinking of it as a challenge to be overcome, a wall to be scaled, a channel to be swum across. Eventually if you persist long enough the odds in your favor will increase. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
When you begin to market your book you will probably hear no over and over again, but don't think of no as a negative. Each time someone tells you no, that just means you have not yet asked the right person. The world is full of billions of people that you have not yet spoken with, people that might just be waiting for what you have to offer. It would be a horrible thing if the very day you decided you had heard no enough and threw in the towel, unbeknown-st to you the next person you would have spoken to would have said yes. So turn no into your own personal motivator, thinking of it as a challenge to be overcome, a wall to be scaled, a channel to be swum across. Eventually if you persist long enough the odds in your favor will increase. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
The Power of Persistence
The power of persistence is about more then just not giving up. The power of persistence is about not letting a little two letter word like "no" intimidate you. Sure, nobody likes to hear no, especially when it comes to your book. After all, your book is like your child, you gave it life, you nurtured it, and now you are trying to send it out into the world. But no is a word you will hear often in the publishing business. You will be rejected many times when you send out your manuscript; and if you are blessed enough to finally hear a yes we love it, don't think that is the end of hearing no.
When you begin to market your book you will probably hear no over and over again, but don't think of no as a negative. Each time someone tells you no, that just means you have not yet asked the right person. The world is full of billions of people that you have not yet spoken with, people that might just be waiting for what you have to offer. It would be a horrible thing if the very day you decided you had heard no enough and threw in the towel, unbeknown-st to you the next person you would have spoken to would have said yes. So turn no into your own personal motivator, thinking of it as a challenge to be overcome, a wall to be scaled, a channel to be swum across. Eventually if you persist long enough the odds in your favor will increase. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
When you begin to market your book you will probably hear no over and over again, but don't think of no as a negative. Each time someone tells you no, that just means you have not yet asked the right person. The world is full of billions of people that you have not yet spoken with, people that might just be waiting for what you have to offer. It would be a horrible thing if the very day you decided you had heard no enough and threw in the towel, unbeknown-st to you the next person you would have spoken to would have said yes. So turn no into your own personal motivator, thinking of it as a challenge to be overcome, a wall to be scaled, a channel to be swum across. Eventually if you persist long enough the odds in your favor will increase. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
February 21, 2011
Five Ways to Help Yourself By Helping Others
Often authors think of other authors in terms of competition. And while this is true in some sense, it is much more helpful to think of other authors as partners and support systems. The old saying what goes around comes around is very true. When you help others, they are inclined to help you also. Below are five ways that you can help yourself by helping other authors.
1. Offer to do book reviews for your fellow authors. Book reviews posted on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Library Thing, and Shelfari not only help other authors spread the word about their book, but usually will be reciprocated.
2. Share marketing tips that work well for you. Knowledge is meant to be shared not horded. When you share tips, not only are you helping others, but you are branding yourself. You are promoting yourself as a caring individual who wants others to succeed in life as well.
3. Promote similar books by fellow authors on your website or blog. One great way to do this is to add an Amazon widget to your site. My favorite is the Amazon carousel which is a rotating collection of books with prices and links. When you sign up to become an Amazon associate and someone buys a book through your link you earn a small commission. A helpful video on this subject can be found at http://www.marketingtipsforauthors.co...
4. Offer words of encouragement to other authors. This costs absolutely nothing and helps bolster moral. Many times a small word of encouragement has helped me to forge ahead when instead I felt like giving up.
5. Include other authors in your social networking. For those of you who belong to Facebook or Twitter, share a fellow author's link or tweet about other authors on #Writers Wednesday or #Follow Friday. Not only does this help your author friends, it also gives you a broader base of potential followers. People who follow your fellow authors may see and follow you as well.
Well there you have it my friends, five simple things you can do for others that will benefit you as well. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
1. Offer to do book reviews for your fellow authors. Book reviews posted on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Library Thing, and Shelfari not only help other authors spread the word about their book, but usually will be reciprocated.
2. Share marketing tips that work well for you. Knowledge is meant to be shared not horded. When you share tips, not only are you helping others, but you are branding yourself. You are promoting yourself as a caring individual who wants others to succeed in life as well.
3. Promote similar books by fellow authors on your website or blog. One great way to do this is to add an Amazon widget to your site. My favorite is the Amazon carousel which is a rotating collection of books with prices and links. When you sign up to become an Amazon associate and someone buys a book through your link you earn a small commission. A helpful video on this subject can be found at http://www.marketingtipsforauthors.co...
4. Offer words of encouragement to other authors. This costs absolutely nothing and helps bolster moral. Many times a small word of encouragement has helped me to forge ahead when instead I felt like giving up.
5. Include other authors in your social networking. For those of you who belong to Facebook or Twitter, share a fellow author's link or tweet about other authors on #Writers Wednesday or #Follow Friday. Not only does this help your author friends, it also gives you a broader base of potential followers. People who follow your fellow authors may see and follow you as well.
Well there you have it my friends, five simple things you can do for others that will benefit you as well. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
February 2, 2011
Encourage Enthusiasm
There is nothing quite like the enthusiasm of a child. Still fairly innocent, they see things simply and simply enjoy the things they see. They laugh at little things like the mention of underware or pictures of cats in party hats. They even giggle at names, like one of my new eight year old readers who informed her mother that the name Mildred made her laugh.
When I named one of my characters Mildred, I did not chose that name in an attempt to amuse kids; but rather, because it was old fashioned. But the more I think about it, the more I can see why that would seem funny to a child. Mildred, from the Old English meaning "gentle strength", has not been popular since about 1910 when it hit it's peak. Therefore Mildred probably seems as strange to today's children as foreign names seem to me.
Children also immensely enjoy things they can relate to like my characters Edward Cornstalk and Jimmy Curlytail pummeling Justin Curlytail in the head with mud balls because he would not help them out of their predicament. One mother told me that she and her daughter laughed hysterically at that scene. And I know that it is relateable because I based it off of the time my neice threw mud balls at her sister as she rode by on her bike.
Children haven't yet been jaded by everyday life, paying bills, complicated relationships, and so forth. If only we could bottle and sell that enthusiasm. But since we can't, the next best thing we can do is encourage that enthusiasm both in our children and in ourselves. Encourage them to read, encourage them to write, and encourage them to dream. Laugh with them, remember to notice the little things, Find joy in everything you see and do. Sometimes that joy may be hiding behind a cloud, but it's still there and can be found if you look through the eyes of a child.
Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
When I named one of my characters Mildred, I did not chose that name in an attempt to amuse kids; but rather, because it was old fashioned. But the more I think about it, the more I can see why that would seem funny to a child. Mildred, from the Old English meaning "gentle strength", has not been popular since about 1910 when it hit it's peak. Therefore Mildred probably seems as strange to today's children as foreign names seem to me.
Children also immensely enjoy things they can relate to like my characters Edward Cornstalk and Jimmy Curlytail pummeling Justin Curlytail in the head with mud balls because he would not help them out of their predicament. One mother told me that she and her daughter laughed hysterically at that scene. And I know that it is relateable because I based it off of the time my neice threw mud balls at her sister as she rode by on her bike.
Children haven't yet been jaded by everyday life, paying bills, complicated relationships, and so forth. If only we could bottle and sell that enthusiasm. But since we can't, the next best thing we can do is encourage that enthusiasm both in our children and in ourselves. Encourage them to read, encourage them to write, and encourage them to dream. Laugh with them, remember to notice the little things, Find joy in everything you see and do. Sometimes that joy may be hiding behind a cloud, but it's still there and can be found if you look through the eyes of a child.
Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
January 14, 2011
Selling Yourself
As an author of a children's book with a degree in Business/Marketing, I understood from the beginning that I would have to work hard to promote myself and my book. Almost as soon as I received a contract for my first book, I began planning. I searched the internet almost daily for good review sites. I polished up my website and read articles on marketing, children's literature, social networking, blogging, brand building, and so on. I began looking for sites where promotional items could be ordered, and I made friends with fellow authors who knew the ropes.
Through all of this, I found one common theme, Sell Yourself. As an author no one will care about your book more then you. As an author, it is up to you to make people believe that what you have to say is worth reading. As an author, it is up to you to build credibility. In other words, you need to work at making yourself a household name brand that people can trust. Which we all know is easier said then done.
The key to this is remembering it will not happen over night. Just as a child learns to walk by taking toddling baby steps to build up the leg muscles, you too can practice, practice, practice taking small steps until your author legs become stable and strong.
A good place to start is with your website. And yes, a website is a must! A website gives your audience access to you in a way that other social networking sites just can't do. It should be a reflection of your personality, the type of book you have created, and a place where people can get to know you. I chose a chalkboard theme for my website. To me this speaks of education, learning, growing, reading, writing, and structure. My site also contains essential ingredients such as a biography, contact information, synopsis of my book, events page, and point of purchase as well as non essential extras like book reviews, other authors I like, recipes, poems, and more.
Something else you can do is to mimic big businesses. If you do a little research, you will note that they all have some kind of a statement that sums up who or what they are. Call it a motto, a brand statement, a purpose statement, or any of the other numerous titles such statements go by; the fact remains, they all have one and so should you. Mine is "Kids Who Read Can Do Anything." I want to portray the type of person who isn't just interested in selling a book, but is interested in selling education, enrichment, confidence, and all the skills youngsters need to become productive and happy individuals! I want to be know as a person who cares.
So get out there and start selling yourself, and don't be surprised if you actually do become a household name because stranger things have happened. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
Through all of this, I found one common theme, Sell Yourself. As an author no one will care about your book more then you. As an author, it is up to you to make people believe that what you have to say is worth reading. As an author, it is up to you to build credibility. In other words, you need to work at making yourself a household name brand that people can trust. Which we all know is easier said then done.
The key to this is remembering it will not happen over night. Just as a child learns to walk by taking toddling baby steps to build up the leg muscles, you too can practice, practice, practice taking small steps until your author legs become stable and strong.
A good place to start is with your website. And yes, a website is a must! A website gives your audience access to you in a way that other social networking sites just can't do. It should be a reflection of your personality, the type of book you have created, and a place where people can get to know you. I chose a chalkboard theme for my website. To me this speaks of education, learning, growing, reading, writing, and structure. My site also contains essential ingredients such as a biography, contact information, synopsis of my book, events page, and point of purchase as well as non essential extras like book reviews, other authors I like, recipes, poems, and more.
Something else you can do is to mimic big businesses. If you do a little research, you will note that they all have some kind of a statement that sums up who or what they are. Call it a motto, a brand statement, a purpose statement, or any of the other numerous titles such statements go by; the fact remains, they all have one and so should you. Mine is "Kids Who Read Can Do Anything." I want to portray the type of person who isn't just interested in selling a book, but is interested in selling education, enrichment, confidence, and all the skills youngsters need to become productive and happy individuals! I want to be know as a person who cares.
So get out there and start selling yourself, and don't be surprised if you actually do become a household name because stranger things have happened. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!
