Emerald Cage

Before my battery runs out on my computer, I thought I would start to track my process with my latest writing project.

I completed the first draft of my Young Adult novel, Emerald Cage (working title,) last week. It is around 60,000 words and I had such a blast writing it.

I started writing my outline on Mother's Day of this year. The story has just flowed for me. I have been so surprised at how quickly it moved from my mind to pages.

I am almost done with my edits of the first draft and have polished the first three chapters. It is all in preparation of submitting to agents and editors. This genre is a whole new world for me.

I submitted to an Agency in Denver and will now start the waiting game.

I have to believe that I can do what I love for a living. I want to be a writer and an artist. My goal is to be successful enough that I don't ever have to be an employer or an employee again. I can work from home, at my own hours and pace. Doesn't that sound fabulous?

Small Successes

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to read to over 80 kids in Folsom's Vacation Zone camp. They were really great listeners. I introduced, with volunteers and a tape measure:

1) The length a snow leopard can jump - 40 feet

2) How many muscles are in an African Elephant trunk - 100,000

3) The length of a humpback whale tail - 15 feet

4) The length of a Mekong Giant Catfish - 10 feet
5) The wingspan of a Comoro Black Flying Fox - 4 feet

It was fun to bring in new measurements, especially since there were a few kids that had heard my presentation before.

The weekend signing at the Discovery Museum went pretty well. It was a beautiful weekend and Father's day, so the turn out was a tad disappointing. Those that did come were so nice and the volunteers and staff at the museum were wonderful!

The museum pulled out some confiscated skins from illegal trading from their collection and put them on display. My heart caught in my throat when I walked into the room. It was very powerful.

It really helped bring home the message of my book. The skins helped me start conversations with people and share facts of those species that were in my book.

I handed out bookmarks and brought in some of the original artwork for the visitors to see. I was also able to do a few readings to kids.

I asked the coordinator if I could come back once a quarter to help them sell my books, it was such a great experience.

The growth of the painting

This week has been all about advancing my last painting in my five painting commission of diseases. You can barely see the outlines of the worm-like, circular and pill shaped viruses. The painting is 4 feet by 2 feet and very intimidating. I want to try to complete it in 2 weeks.

Upcoming June events!

This Friday is a reading event for the Folsom Vacation Zone camps. There will be around 80 kids. I am planning to do more with groups, showing how large some of the creatures in my books. I'll ask the counselors to take pictures and then upload them.

I am going to show the size of:
1) Mekong Giant Catfish
2) The heart of the Humpback Whale
3) California Condor wingspan
4) Comoro Black Flying Fox
I'll have to think of a few other interesting ones, to shock the kids with. I love the oooo's and ahhhh's I get as a result of these demonstrations.

If I can figure out how to do an activity showing what happens when the top of the food chain disappears, that would be really cool. I'll have to really think about it. Maybe I could assign kids to be the deer healthy, sick, old, young. Then show some kids as the food. Choose other kids to be other animals that use the plants. And add a timeline. I can add signs to stick on the deer to show they are sick. I can become the story teller. I'd have to have a pretty big group to pull it off. It sounds like it would be fun though!

On Saturday and Sunday are the Discovery Museum events.

The Growing Condor

The condor is filling in nicely as school kids participate in adding their feathers. I read to three kindergarten classes in Elk Grove, California last week. Children are such amazing sponges. They are so thirsty to learn.

I have a couple of events coming up in June. My big one is at the Discovery Museum of Sacramento, June 20-21st from Noon until 4 p.m. I'll be doing a book signing each day; possibly a reading and some activities. We shall see.

My publisher just had a great time at the NYCity Book Expo. It will be great if a ton of people order the book for fall curriculums. Submissions for awards will come up this fall through December, so we'll see about that as well. What ever we can do to get my book in front of as many people as possible, will be great.

I still feel strange just talking about my book to parents out of the blue. But, once I get their kids interested and asking questions, it is easy to wonder - "how can you not get this book for your children?"

I dropped my book of at the Santa Barbara Zoo this weekend. They have a lot of empty exhibits, and then they have this spectacular new California Condor exhibit. I got some incredible pictures of the condors. They are still young with their grey heads. I also walked around the zoo spotting all the species they had there that were in my book - Chinese Alligator, Channel Island Fox, Snow Leopard, Golden Lion Tamarin, Snow Leopard. Some of those are very unique species to zoos, it was nice to see them in well thought out habitats. The jury is still out on how I feel about zoos in general...I feel sad for the ones stuck in them, but again I think for education and survival, zoos are our only chance.

Endangered Species Day...last week

Wow, so I missed that boat of celebration, didn't I. Oh well, it is a "get in line" list of things I forget on a daily basis.

It is funny that I have more time to be creative, yet I forget more things and fill my time with non-creative things. A bit frustrated right now I guess.

We went to the Sacramento Zoo last night, they have a new Conservation Carousel. It was over 100 degrees here yesterday, and last night it cooled down beautifully while we walked around. I love being around animals, I wish I could do more than just look at them.

Part of me always feels sad about the animals in the zoo, like they are truly missing out on life. I try to justify that they are the educators of their kind. They allow people to connect to a species, to learn about them, and therefore care.

I am also frustrated that there is a lack of support for my book at zoo's. I can't understand it. It is a unique and educational book on endangered species and yet, I have only one zoo that I know of, that has picked it up for their gift shop. If there are other zoos that have picked it up that I don't know of, I apologize in advance.

I have tried to set up book signings at several zoo's, but no one is interested.

Who ever wrote "good things come to those who wait," ugh! How long do I have to wait? I sound like my daughter right now and it makes me laugh.

Several people have told me that I can't make it as an artist and author; make a living I should say. I really want to prove them wrong. I see people around me that make it happen, why can't I?

Okay, enough of a pity party! There are thousands of people and creatures that have things worthy of complaints. That ought to keep my feelings in perspective.

I do have a wonderful link exchange with a Rainforest Conservation site, check them out http://kids.mongabay.com/

Amazing Review

My publisher sent me a link to one of the most beautiful reviews of my book. I was in tears when I read it. I hope who ever visits my blog, goes to visit, http://www.bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.asp?bookid=11044

:) Rachel