Co-Op book: Eddie the Squirrel: My Family's Nutty Thanksgiving Traditions

Every year Eddie has to listen to Grandpa Clem tell his tale of the chase he endured from Griff. Every year they hide a golden acorn, and this year Eddie certainly hopes it doesn't get "misplaced" again! Those big yarns from grandpa catch up, and traditions come a bit more alive as things shift.

This was the big rush Thanksgiving project that had me tied to drawing every day in my freelance illustrator capacity with PenIt! Publications. I found it to be a cute tale, and I enjoyed all the personified animals.

This is not the image I had intended for the cover, but I think that the publisher releasing the book chose well from all of the images submitted.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PoUsgd
PenIt! https://www.penitpublications.com/product-page/eddy-the-nutty-squirrel-by-suzanne-hill

Ame's Bookshelf Reviews: Dark Horizons: Mind Glimmers

Here is yet another book that I was asked to review. The link is on the video page itself or you can find it where you usually shop.

Ame's Bookshelf: Enchantress Book Review

Here is another book that I found enjoyable. So far the whole series is pretty good up to where I've had time to read.

Ame's Bookshelf: Johnny Frankenstein: Undying Detective Book Review

I found this to be a fun read. Perhaps you will too.

Winter 2018 "Traditions" Writing & Art Submissions Wanted for Contest

Here is the information on the current short work and short order contest that I am sponsoring.

Read up on how to enter.

Trotsdale 7th, Luskwood 15th, and Derpyland 6th Birthday Contest & Celeb...

Ice Cream Book arrival

I found something nice in the mail today when I got into the post. My illustrator copies have arrived from the ice cream story that was illustrated for PenIt! Publications.

The Starr Family's Ice Cream Creation

Available on Amazon and from PenIt! Publications

Regarding Amazon and book reviewing

The link below is for an article that I found to be good regarding the dos and don'ts of book reviewing. With Amazon's policies changing often and being easy to miss it is important for authors and book fans to understand what their policies are. This said, please do remember to leave reviews for any book that you have read by anyone, no mater the author or publisher. Your reviews help the author to sell their books, and help other readers figure out if they are likely to enjoy the book beyond the sample pages.

https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/10/the-definitive-guide-to-dos-and-donts-of-amazon-reviews/

I myself have several books I need to finish reading so that I can post my reviews. I have missed doing that with so much work I've been trying to keep up with.

First Inktober ink sketch

"Poisonous: Inktober 2018" by AmehanaRainStarDrago is an ink sketch with Pilot Cavalier fountain pen for the first prompt of the #inktober2018 challenge https://www.deviantart.com/amehanarainstardrago/art/Poisonous-Inktober-2018-766421256 … #inktober

In other news I am at between 1/2 and 3/4 done with the illustration panels for Moey's Day at the Farm with PenIt! Publications. My intent is to get that project finished (interruptions allowing) quickly so that I can get back to the recording and processing for The Ian's Realm Saga. September was a month with a lot of being pulled out of the house and otherwise unable to record. Here's hoping October allows me to run well through the projects on my plate and catch up to where I ought to be in my work load.

"The Starr Family's Ice Cream Creation" is available

I notice that the latest children's book I illustrated has been posted on that publisher's website as available. In this sweet story a family explores the world of ice cream in search of new flavors and even goes to Italy as part of their search. It was a fun one to color and one with gave me a good place to implement some color techniques I had been wanting an excuse to use. I will point out that I did not do the text layout on this cover piece.

In this short children's tale we meet the Starr Family. They love ice cream so much that they go on adventures to find new flavors. Each member has a different idea. This even includes a family vacation (and a little implied romance for mommy and daddy) to Italy.

"The Starr Family's Ice Cream Creation" by Barbara Kurtz and illustrations by Teresa Amehana Garcia.

PenIt! Publications

You can get it now at the Publisher's Catalog page or on Amazon.





If you click the link above to buy off of Amazon I get a very small bonus from Amazon. Such purchases help me out as I was paid a per illustration fee and so collect no royalties of of this particular work. If you'd like to tip me after you've read the book please feel free. There are a few ways you can do so.

Tips and Support

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/Amehana

Ko-fi: http://www.ko-fi.com/amehana

Paypal: http://paypal.me/thgstardragon

Looking for where you can find my own books or art?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teresa-Garcia/e/B009Q938VE

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TeresaGarcia

DeviantArt: http://amehanarainstardrago.deviantart.com

Storenvy: http://thgstardragon.storenvy.com/ Check now and then for new things, some I can't list just yet.

Illustrations, cover art, or cover art WITH book text included available

(as not everyone prefers to do their text layout themselves)

Commissions Info: https://amehanarainstardrago.deviantart.com/journal/Commissions-Stuff-for-SL-and-in-General-566657935

Publishing Website: http://www.thgstardragon.com

Mythical Minstrelsy volume one is released in Color Print Edition

Teresa Garcia's "Mythical Minstrelsy" is available in the first volume on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Amazon also has a paperback copy available for purchase. Fueled as a side project by her Patreon these yearly anthologies are collections of poetry, art, and short stories. Some of these are for within Kirsty, BlowingWind, and Willow AKA Angelina's shared world. These will not contain her progress on the current Selkies' Skins manuscript. Patreon patrons get to have yearly copies of the anthologies as one of their perks. For those more interested in just reading the collected works though there is the anthology itself.

This is the first volume of a series. It is hoped to have the final layout of both the print and ebook editions of volumes 2 and 3 ready within the next few months.
Smashwords
Amazon ebook
Amazon Color Print Edition

Project Updates

Mythical Minstrelsy
Within a week we should be seeing the print edition of Mythical Minstrelsy, volume 1 (the 2015-2016 volume) hitting Amazon. It will take a few days longer generally for the print edition to link to the ebook edition. Hopefully soon I will be able to have layout ready for volume 2 print and ebook as I try to catch up my own backlog (so many projects get prioritized over my own writings). I will post again once I see that it has become available.

Illustrations
In other news I am working on color for panels 11 through 15 of the Starr Family's Ice Cream Creation with PenIt! Publications. After the completion of that children's book project I will begin the art for the next Moey book, also with that publishing house.

Selkies' Skins
I champ at the bit to get back to the current volume of the series.

The Ian's Realm Saga Trilogy
Work is still ongoing with getting clean tracks for the audiobook version of D.L. Gardner's classic book. It has not been as quiet nor as calm a summer as I needed for the rerecording of the chapters.

Dragon Hearts RPG
There have been a few delays in getting to writing the second part of the current split questline. I need to check in the work tickets to see if the gamesite owner/coder has had a change to work on the code for the first part of this installment in Fetu's saga and if anything is ready for testing.

Spotlight Blog: Hope's Story by Tracy Kushwaha

Today I'd like to share a new book with you. I have read a different book by this author but I thought I would give her new book a little boost as it dovetails nicely with the stories I have about Lightning. I'd like to think that Lightning would approve of giving a little limelight to another service animal. I look forward to reading this once it finishes downloading.

Hope's Story by Tracy Kushwaha is a fun little tale following the dog Hope as she seeks for a forever home and finds not only a home, but a purpose. Click below for a convenient link to the Kindle edition.
Hope's Story

Other works by Tracy include Harriet the Brave (which I have read) and Harriet and the Spaghetti Snake. I am providing links to those as well below.

Harriet The Brave
Harriet The Brave

Harriet and the Spaghetti Snake
Harriet and the Spaghetti Snake

Indie Author Day

What? Is it Indie Author Day already?

Some of you might not know this yet, but I am an author. I started my publishing company (THG StarDragon Publishing) due to how difficult I found it to get published, and to help other authors that fell into the same area of subject interest.

Indie authors, please feel free to drop an intro and what sort of things you write in a comment below and a link(s) to where your work can be found. Please put them in one post if you can. Then perhaps someone else that's looking for something new to read might find your works.

Readers, please remember when you've read something an author has labored over that a review or even just a star rating helps them. Writing (illustrating too) is a lonely job. It helps them when they see that their labors are being viewed.


Teresa's Works

I prefer to write fantasy and poetry. My fantasy leans toward high fantasy that is heavily influenced by different world cultures, folklore, and mythology. The major stories that I am working with all fall into personal growth and coming of age. They also deal with those who are of mixed heritages and what they go through. I do have some children's stories meant for younger readers as well. The stories about Lightning the Cat are actual happenings. Even though he is now gone, perhaps some day I will have the time to write about other key adventures that he and my daughter had in his time as her service cat and emotional support animal.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B009Q938VE

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Amehana


Other Authors

You can find THG StarDragon Publishing books from other authors on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=thg+stardragon+publishing&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athg+stardragon+publishing

It is update time

For those that have been following me on the Patreon it is no surprise that I am nearing the end of audio recording for The Ian's Realm Saga Trilogy penned by D.L. Gardener. I am also working on illustrations for yet another children's book being put out by Pen It.

As I visit the website for the publishing company www.thgstardragon.com I notice that I need to find out why the updates that were made for there still are not showing up. It needs updating again anyway. I really need to find a way to streamline things a little more, so when things die down somewhat with all of the projects I will talk to Rowan about combining the blog and the website into one thing.

Missing pages are viewable due to my having redundancy in place (just in case) by visiting the Facebook page and reading in the notes or by viewing the side tabs on this blog site.

In other recent news the Fetu Saga for this year's storyline on www.DragonHeartsRPG.com has the next chapter challenge live finally. For those just finding this area, Dragon Hearts is a free to play browser and text based game that is accentuated with original art. The adventures both solo development and seasonal challenge based center around the lives of dragons, and your dragon, in a world of sometimes very quirky and eccentric dragons.

Fetu sneezed on Obsidian on his way home from visiting Amehana, Sandsfire and many other dragons (and landmarks) earlier this year. That darn Fetu. This is why the May Day challenge got launched late, but also why it will go all month!

Unboxing: I'm Not Just A Tree

Podcast: Moey's Big Back Yard

https://www.facebook.com/WJOB.1230/videos/1767849013260723/

Do you remember the dog book I illustrated for? You can meet the author in this podcast. I am so ecstatic that the interviewer termed the art as "whimsical" as that is exactly what I was aiming for.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1976212340

New Blog Page: Co-op projects

A new page has been created in the sidebar of the Publishing Blog for Cooperative publications with other publishers and external works participated in by those that have worked with me. It will gradually expand and eventually also be placed on the publishing main website. The works that will be listed generally are ones in which I or the one listed had been paid a lump sum or hourly fee unless otherwise noted. If you purchase after clicking through on the Amazon links I will receive a little bit of kickback via the Amazon Referral Program. This is turn helps to make it a little bit easier for me to work for lower wages.

Cooperative Publications

Cover Reveal - The Dark Side of Springwood: Devious Connections by Jennifer Brown

Although this book is not released by my publishing house I do participate in cross promotion when I am approached if it is something that sounds interesting. Today we have a suspense fiction cover reveal. This time the guest is Jennifer Brown with her tale:

The Dark Side of Springwood
Devious Connections

Release Date: May 15, 2018

Everyone has secrets...some are just darker than others.

Dr. Brent Parker is well known for his success rate with patients, and once he gets wind of Jocelyn Barnes's story he extends an invitation to her to appear on his reality show, Dr. Brent. As the Barnes prepare for their lives to be even more publicized with the arrival of the Dr. Brent crew, jury selection begins in Jocelyn's trial.

When a dead body found in Mercy Park draws a visit from the Barnes' long estranged Aunt Liz, and their cousin Danielle, matters get complicated. As Jocelyn welcomes reconnecting with her cousin, other memories resurface that lead to devastating results.

As dark secrets are revealed, twisted links to the past arise and taunt the Barnes family as they

deal with yet another deadly reality.

Look for it in your favorite book retailer!

You can find out more about this author and her works at her website. http://jenniferbrownauthor.weebly.com/

Spotlight: Oscelot Haalan

Oscelot is a woman of many talents. She does poetry and short fiction, and sometimes she even posts it or has something she will allow me to read on the Youtube channel. She also is wonderful in Second Life setting up worlds to explore with Dreaming Twilight (formerly the group responsible for the sims of Nisa, The Ibex Empire AKA Ibexia, Qwhildrasil, Thessalia, and Exmoor) in the group owned parcels currently located in Ontario.

In addition to this she makes gorgeous scale mail items, clay jewelry, and other widely assorted crafted knickknacks. I encourage you to check her out at her Patreon. (Plus, if she knows there is more traffic there I can keep her motivated at being more in the public about her projects. Shhh. I'm going to get long distance pokings and Cat Glares.)

Oscelot Haalan's Patreon

She also has a Youtube of her own, and I wish she would do more readings.

Regarding my Youtube channel changes

Some will have noticed that the icon and art on the Youtube channel has been changed. I have swapped it to match my main avatar presentation within Second Life. I am still fine tuning to make sure that the publishing logo still shows well enough, so this may slowly evolve during the process.

Others without adblockers will notice that there are no more ads playing on the videos on my channel, whether it is done for THG StarDragon Publishing vlog purposes, readings, spotlights, reviews, meditations, Patreon purposes, or things that my time and space has been given to make a donation to the Trotsdale or other Intersim library uses. Due to having less than 1,000 subscribers and less than 4,000 minutes of watch time I no longer qualify for their monetization program. Thus I disabled all ads before I lost access to that feature. There's no sense in having ads play that won't stand the chance of helping with funding.

The content type that I post will be likely to shift around a bit for a little longer until I am once more on a more regular schedule. I am still recording narration for "The Ian's Realm Saga Trilogy" for author D.L. Garnder and working on illustrations for Debi over in PenIt publishing for a children's book project. So there is less time for regular reading to do book reviews or to record things for playback for the library. I miss my internet being of a high enough caliber I could reliably do live readings, but time wise it wouldn't be feasible right now anyway. There are also other video posting projects that were being suppressed by lack of time to work on them.

Regarding my own writing I am still doing the monthly poems for my Patreon. In the current Selkies' Skins manuscript I am fitting in writing for that when and as I can. The illustration and narration projects are higher priority though until I have those finished up.

Spotlight: Johnny Frankenstein by John Morrisey

Today is a spotlight posting for John Morrisey's Johnny Frankenstein books. They are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble by request, or visit your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and ask them to order it for you. In regards to Amazon I am providing links to the Kindle copy, but you can click the tab once there to the hard copy for those that prefer physical books. Physical books also have the wonderful ability to be autographed, which this author will happily do for you.

Genres: Urban, contemporary, mystery, adventure, fantasy, serial fiction, short fiction

Johnny Frankenstein: The Undying Detective
Man becomes Monster, but what happens when the man inside the monster meets the monster inside the man. Private detective, licensed bodyguard, and supernatural troubleshooter Johnny Frankenstein is summoned to Oregon to find out what's eating a small mountain town. The ground will shake and blood will fly when the man-made monster goes head to head with the cannibal demon of the north woods.
Amazon

Johnny Frankenstein: The Night Chicago Died
This is the second installment in the Johnny Frankenstein series. Gods and monsters clash over life, death, and immortality, with the lives of a city in the balance.
Amazon

Johnny Frankenstein: Ride the Lightning
A Convention in Los Angeles leads Johnny to a case involving sasquatches, UFOs, Men in Black, and government black sites.
Amazon

Johnny Frankenstein: The Anachramis Project and Other Summer Fun
This is the third installment of the Johnny Frankenstein series.
Life keeps on throwing things at you, even if you are a monster. Money, family, life, death, oozy monster. But it could be wore. Could be raining.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Johnny Frankenstein: Sword of Dracula
Death in Chicago leads Johnny across eastern Europe on a quest to protect his family.
The inevitable battle of the giants looms before him.
Amazon

There is a group specifically for the discussion of these books and for fans to communicate with the author. If you get a physical copy that is the place to talk to him about getting that autograph. If these books are not your cup of coffee please do mention them to anyone that you know who is looking for books of this genre!
Johnny Frankenstein Facebook Group

Watch part of what goes into the illustration process

Below is a video that I made to show part of how much work goes into doing illustrations for children's books in one of several traditional manners. The below is JUST the coloring process, it does not contain the actual drawing process. Those really pretty illustrations in some of your favorite picture books as a child most likely took a lot longer to do than the flat color cartoon versions in other books. All techniques and projects have their little quirks.

Ame's Bookshelf Review: Tindr, Ceridwen Saga by Octavia Randolf

Have a cuppa with me: Bones Coffee Highland Grog Unboxing and Review: Fr...

I'm sure you can figure out why I tried to get this one up so fast. It's not the same as sharing a cup though.