I am so delighted with the cover of my new book!
I had an idea that I wanted to create a tiny house with food. I tried it first with Photoshop and hated how it turned out. So I went shopping and brought home all the prettiest produce. I started carving and placing, and again… it just wasn’t working. My handsome husband came home and looked around at the mess I was making. And before you know it I had sucked him in! He was there with his pocket knife working on getting the pieces structured so they would stay where I wanted them. There was no professional food people putting shellac, no cardboard – it was just us two crazy people in the kitchen having a fantastic time playing with our food! And then he even created a little doggie with the radish – using the root of the radish for the tail of the dog! I was delighted! I snapped some photos and look how it turned out?! I love it! I’m so pleased the book designer liked it enough to use it!
The back cover was almost as fun. There were many conversations between the designer and the publisher to get each detail right. I love the little kitchen graphic at the bottom with the ISBN code, the QR code, and the logo of the publisher. It was so fun to see the designer and publisher working out every detail with the faucet, saucepan – even the handle on the fridge door!
But that’s not all! There are quotes on the back from people I admire very much. I’ll tell ya, when the publisher sent off books to folks to have them read and respond – that’s a nerve wracking process! But look what happened?! Andrew Odom is the host for my very favorite tiny house festival each year, he puts on an event that is so much fun for thousands of people! Shirley Showalter is the first female president of a Mennonite college or University, and I admire her (and her book) very much. Susan Shaeffer Bernardo is a poet and author who has written a variety of books for children. In fact, Michelle Obama read one of her books to a enraptured group of children, and one of her books went up in the space shuttle to orbit the earth! Can you imagine? I think the world of these people and rest of the amazing men and women who wrote blurbs for this book. Seeing them all there on the back cover of my book brings me such joy.
I actually feel a little bashful that they liked my book and wrote such glowing reviews. Honestly, it was a true joy to read what they wrote and know that they really did understand what I was trying to do with this little book. I am so blessed!
Do you see that line at the top? “An Official Pulpwood Queens Book Club Selection!” That’s thanks to our dear Kathy L. Murphy who has a knack for picking great books to pass along to her delightful book club – and her club has chapters all over the country! I’ve seen photos of the party Kathy throws each year where the authors and readers get together, play dress up, and talk about books! I’m so unbelievably excited that she chose my book and I’m totally looking forward to going to her party! I don’t have a tiara yet, but believe me… I’ll have one by the time for her party! I can’t wait!
The process of creating a book is often tedious and solitary. And this is my first book, so I had EVERYTHING to learn and I would not trade this experience for the world!
I believe this book will help people navigate the transition to a simpler life – whether that means moving into a tiny house, a small apartment, or even a community for seniors – or even if that means living a more minimalist life in the home one already enjoys. I know living simply has made a huge difference in my life, and I am so pleased to be able to share my story with the world.
It really does take a village to make a book, and I’m so blessed that the good folks at HD Media Press published this little book! They’ve been so great to work with! It won’t be long and I’ll be holding that final copy in my hands!
Joyfully,
Carmen Shenk 