This was this churches very first bazaar and I think it turned out very nice. I plan on returning next year to see all my new friends again!
Everything went awesome at this event and I can't wait to return next year! I shared a booth with Bob & Alice Smith, two Frankenmuth authors who are also part of the MichWriter group. They are a great couple and were a lot of fun to get to know. The best part is that I got a copy of Bob's new book, Keep Me and Keep All. Thanks to LJ and the crew at the Frankenmuth Farmers Market for hosting such a good event. I even got to try some roasted chestnuts that were being roasted by a vendor...delicious!
Janis Lord and I were at our seats and ready to go for all the Black Friday shoppers! The store drew large crowds and it was nice to meet and greet with so many new people. An 8-year boy told me that he had read Tales of Wordishure and was very excited to read the new one when it's complete, this made the whole day worth it!
Janis Lord and I had a great time at this event, meeting people and sharing our books with all the kids who were at this event. Thanks to Shelley and the crew from the Farmer's Market for inviting us to this event, it was a great time. The children loved coloring all the butterflies that Jan brought, plus, they got to see me color some characters from my upcoming book, Tales of Wordishure Book Two.
As I first entered this event I was impressed by the elegent setting. Then they provided a wonderful meal for all the vendors. This made me and my wife feel very welcomed, I had high hopes. It's also a rare thing that my wife gets to attend an event with me so I thought this show would be better than average. The bad part was is they hired a DJ. He blasted his music and announcements so you could not hear anything your customers said making it impossible to hear what was going on. Older customers walked out the door right after walking in. Then the DJ gathered a small group for dancing which blocked our table half of the time. I don't like to give negative reviews, but this show was a complete mess. I will not be setting up at this show again unless they do a massive overhaul.
I had a great time at this show meeting so many wonderful people. The set-up was nice and the hostesses, Sue Johnson and Mary Roe did a great job making sure everyone was having a pleasent time at the event. I even met upcoming author Kelly Ann Reed!
As usual, St. Marks was the place to be. The large crowd, the friendly people. I am never disappointed when I attend this show. I met a very nice 90 year old lady named Mildred who is a big part of their church, what a blessing she is! Another lady in her 70's took time to remind me to take joy in the fact that God gave me such a wonderful ministry. This is why I love these shows, it's the people.
It was nice to return to the town where I was raised and sign copies of the book. Readers were interested in hearing how I got started into writing and publishing. This was a unique show because I sold a lot more of the CD than of the actual books, which I think is awesome because the songs really move my heart sometimes and can be as touching as some of the stories in the book!
Diane Julian certainly knows how to host an event! This is Bay City's premiere Craft show and Art Bazaar. The area's top crafters were there and I had a good time mingling with everyone. Barb Hagler from the "Living in Hope" farm book series was there too, promoting her new book "Luca Loves," a new children's classic!
Although attendance for this event was lower than last year, their was still great enthusiasm and I had fun meeting so many people.
The crowd really wasn't here for this years event, but I still had a nice time drawing and chatting with the other vendors. I was able to complete two full color character sketches for Book II though, which I am very excited about.
This was a really good signing for me and fellow Mick Art Productions Author, Jan Lord. I drew in charcoal for the kids and Jan had them coloring their own butterflies. This is something we need to do more often.
As many of you know, this is the festival that I put on this year. I had a lot of fun, met other great artists and authors, and just had good fellowship all the way round. I'm hoping this event will get bigger and better every year.
Although the turnout at this festival was quite small I still had lots of fun. It was the first signing where all the authors from Mick Art Productions Publishing got to sit down together for a signing in public. Erica and Micah were there as well having a good time. Micah had to make sure his mom wasn't getting into mischief, and boy is that a full time job! A 2 year-olds work is never done!
The 51th Waterfront Art Festival was a wonderful success! From the beautiful beachside weather, to the warm and friendly people who stopped by to get a copy of Tales of Wordishure. I always enjoy this show and am glad that I got to attend. I will definitly be back next year.
The turnout at this car show and bazaar was very small. I was suprised at this because there were so many beautiful classic cars. The 100 degree weather might have dampened things a bit though. I had a good time anyway. Author Charles Smith even showed up for a surprise visit. His new book new book of poetry called "Redeemed" is very powerful stuff.
Mikado is a very tiny town in northeast Michigan, but the close-knit community turned out in droves for their 125th year celebration. I met so many wonderful people there that it was really hard to count. I hope everyones kids (and some adults) are enjoying the books and music. I had a great time and I can't wait to publish the cookbook a nice gentleman had talked to me about.
I was a bit surprised by the low turnout to this festival, which seemed to be busier last year. Author Jan Lord was sharing the display with me and we had a good time meeting people anyway. We got to see the other vendors and see how they operated. I still consider this show successful because I got to be a testimony to some pagans who were relectant to speak at first, but were drawn in by our books. You never know what God can do and maybe that was what he wanted us there for! :)
Author Jan Lord was there to do a co-signing with me and it was lot's of fun. I sold some books and had a chance to talk about Mick Art Productions Publishing with quite a few people. I even took a break to go pick up Erica and Micah, they later got a chance to "Tumble down a hill" at the park! Micah had a great time and wanted to meet everyone in the park!
Martin's Chiropractic held their 3rd annual Women's Health Expo on May 14. Attendance was down because of really poor weather conditions, but I still had some sales and had a great time. I also got a chance to talk shop with another children's book author, Wendy Sears. Mick Art Productions Publishing may be publishing her book! God sure does know how to open doors.
This show turned out to be a really good time. Not only did people buy the books, but they also talked with me about my publishing business, and the upcoming Christian Art Festival that I want to host.Diane Julian, the shows organizor and promoter did a top notch job! I'll definitely be doing her next show in October! Oh, and to the kid who beat me at the Bean Bag Toss game by Granny: I want a rematch!!!
This was one of the busiest shows that I've seen and a I was really impressed at the set up. There was plenty of space and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. The crowd was very receptive to me and Granny, who shared the space with me. Nannette (Granny) and I had a real good time meeting people and sharing stories. Our friend Diane Julian was there as well helping us sharing in the good times. You'll probably see me and Granny doing more "team up" signings in the future. Check out our photo with my son Micah!
The turnout to this Craft Bazaar was very low so I only got to meet a few people. Sometimes this can be a real blessing though because I really get to spend quality time with the people who are buying the books and wanting to find out more things about it. Sometimes I forget how wonderful it is to get out and meet people, when I hear their testimonies or how much they enjoy spending time with their kids/grandkids it really motivates me about my own personal relationships. There are still lots of good people in the world and I feel greatly blessed that I can get out there and meet them.
I was invited by TCT for an interview for their Alive! program. I went down to the station with my family and met all the wonderful people who work there and put their programs together. I felt very relaxed and welcome during the whole process. Micah got to play in the Green room (waiting area) while Erica sat off camera encouraging me while Dr. Murphey conducted the interview. I even got to do some promo material for the channel! I'm very excited to see this air in January. I'll keep you posted about the date and time. I will also make this video available to watch on this website as soon as they make the video available to me. Here are some photos of the interview. (click photo to enlarge)
Although turnout to bazaar was not what I had hoped, it was still a busy day. I talked to many wonderful people and can't wait to hear their responses about what their children think of the book! I even drew a nice concept sketch of my new character Gnatalie.
Returning customers from last year picked up the new book and CD. I'm quite pleased with the response to the CD, everyone really seems to enjoy it. We hope to record more music someday, it is such a blast.
Another low turnout at the bazaar. I still made sales, but I had heard this bazaar was bigger than it turned out to be. It's nice to know that even in this poor economy, people are willing to come out and support their local artists. The people running the bazaar at St. Mary's were very polite and did a great job with raffles and good food. I did get a chance to write a good draft of my newest story while we waited for shoppers...
The store was booming with Black Friday shoppers and the line reached the back of the store! Sales were great and the people were in good spirits considering the long wait. That's whats nice about doing a signing at a Christian business on a day like this. Thank you Lord for good, kind, and courteous people!
Even thought the turnout to this bazaar was low, I still made some sales to some really cool people. Thanks to Peter and Paula Isaac from Pride and Joy Daycare for taking time to talk with me about possible future speaking opportunities, what a blessing!
Mrs. B'zzz Antique Shop is certainly the jewel of the Tawas Area. Thank you to the owner, Carol Bohmeir, for having me come and take part in an annual artist tour. I met some great people and hopefully they are now enjoying their new adventures in Wordishure!
This bazaar didn't have much of a turnout but the people there were some of the friendliest. I always enjoy meeting the other vendors, plus I got to share some publishing wisdom with an up and coming children's book author named Amanda. Awesome!
This was one of my favorite signings. There were lot's of Q&A, plus, the reaction to my new banner was really positive! Plus, the people at St. Mark's were really friendly and even welcomed me to come back for a storytime session with the kids at their church!
Had many good conversations with the people who attended this event. Sometimes I forget that there are so many people out there who have not heard about the book yet, it's always fun to see their reaction when they learn what the book is all about. I even sold some CD's of the new music. I hope the reaction is good!
This was a fun lecture indeed! Lot's of good questions too, I even spoke about two of my upcoming stories. They even played a couple songs off the new CD over the intercom system. They all chuckled when they listened to "How Do You Hug A Porcupine". I really love sharing the story of Tales of Wordishure with groups like this. It's what makes all the hours of hard work worth while.
Everyone had a great time at this wonderful and fun event! I even got to dress up a bit! All the actors did a great job pretending to be from their time periods and everyone was quite happy to see my and my family there and hear about the books. If you want to learn more about this event go to http://www.midmichiganrenfest.com/Web/. Here are some of the photos (click to enlarge):
Erica, Micah, and I had a great time meeting the ladies at the Dorcas Society meeting. I got a very nice reception and they even had baked treats to share. It sure is hard to speak with a mouth full of delicious cinnamon treats! I spoke about the history of the book and how God inspired me to write Tales of Wordishure. We talked about Erica's role in the development of ideas and how she was so supportive in my moments of self-doubt. Thanks to Emma Hibbard and the rest of the ladies of Redeemer for having me come out.
A great signing! People who bought the first book were there to pick up the second! Also met another childrens book author named Nanette who I'll be reviewing her book soon.
A gathering of Mid-Michigan authors! This was a hoot! I got to meet 24 other authors and share ideas and advice. Special thanks to Shutta Crum for being there and giving such good advice.
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Another fun show! I even met two potential authors who might want to publish their books through Mick Art Productions!
I love seeing kids get excited when they pick up the books and get a kick out of the characters in the book. I also met some great new friends, and even got to meet Facebook Wordishure fan Rik Jekel.
I met some great people at this craft show. Freeland is filled with some very nice people. It was a small show, but at least it was dry inside, the other local craft show got rained out pretty much so I felt really blessed to be inside from the rain. I sold some sets of both books and it was fun to see people get excited over the stories. It's hard not to get excited over stories that emphasize the Lord!
This art show started off rainy, and then it became humid, and then the sun came out and the crowds really came out in big numbers. I really love the beauty of Frankenmuth and how well a show they put on. I got a chance to talk with lot's of interesting people, plus I may even have a couple of speaking opportunities because of this show. Well done Frankenmuth!
The 50th Waterfront Art Festival started off slowly because of some drizzling rain, but I had already set up my tent the night before. The rain only lasted a few hours and then the crowds started to pick up. As some of you may know, this is my home town so I was excited to see some old friends that I haven't seen in a while. I did a bunch of book signings as the crowd grew to bigger and bigger numbers, and it was great to see so many people excited about reading the book with their kids.
Thanks to the owners of the Harvest Coffee House in Frankenmuth, Michigan for having me come and read one of my stories to all the children who attended their Friday Night movies. The night was mildly muggy, but everyone was in good spirits and I got sign some books and make new friends from the Frankenmuth area. I got to talk to some really great kids who really enjoyed the story!
The conference was wonderful! It was held in the lower level of Frankenmuth's Zehnder's Restaurant where we had their famous chicken for lunch. Then there was the beautiful songs by Joanne Terrian, from Saginaw, Michigan. We then were inspired by Chris Bassett, a wonderful speaker who shared her testimony of Christ. I enjoyed getting up and talking about the book, but this time I got to talk about my wife Erica, and what a powerful blessing she has been to me, not only in support, but in key elements that helped make the Land of Wordishure come to life. I met a bunch of wonderful new friends and Erica and I can't wait to get back to Frankenmuth!
Click on the photos below to see larger versions:
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Click here to check out the new songs. In A Clankabang Tree is FREE and you can hear samples of the other 2 for .99 each. The final 3 songs for the CD will be available in late August.
Check out the photos from the studio trip (click photo to make larger):
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This was the craziest signing yet. When I first arrived it was in a very heavy downpour, in which I had to sent up my newly purchased display tent. When I pulled the tent from the box and tried to set it up, it completey collapsed, breaking about 25% of the support beams! Thank God I was able to get a cheap gazebo-style tent to continue on with the show, although by now I was soaking wet! The rain faded out but would restart periodically. I did meet some wonderful people in Oscoda and had a good time in general. I got to talk to to an aspiring writer and give her some advice on self-publishing.
By the end of the day though, the wind picked up and my gazebo collapsed. Needless to say I had to leave the show an hour early. On Sunday, I headed out to set up again, but another storm came in and I took it as a sign from God to head home. Was this show worth going to? Sure was. I got some drawings completed for the new book and I did get to spend some time meeting the good people in Oscoda, and that is why I do so many public appearances, I love fellowshipping and encouraging other Christians.
Martin's Chiropractic held their 2nd annual Women's Health Expo on May 22. While women were there learning about their health, I was there with my book to help promote spiritual health. I met lot's of good Christian ladies who purchased the book and were excited to share the stories with their children. Thanks to everyone who came out, even my wife and son came and had fun!
I was flattered to receive such wonderful illustrations by these future artists, what a blessing! Amea drew the Bugboat (she got a sneak peak at this upcoming story) and Coral drew a flattering picture of me!
What a great time I had reading the stories to the kids at this excellent school! The children were well-behaved and attentive as I read, and even got to ask me questions about being an author. I hope that I was able to inspire to use the talents that God blessed them with. I was able to speak with around 300 kids plus their teachers. The children's grade levels ran between Kindergarten through 3rd grade, they even drew me pictures and had stories of their own! This is one place I definitely need to visit again to share more stories, thank you for letting me be part of your school day! Check out the cool photos, click on them to see a larger picture.
Christian Family Stores is one of my favorite places to sign books and meet all the wonderful people who show up to meet me. I made a bunch of new friends and a whole bunch of new kids will get to read about the amazing world of Wordishure!
Since I decided to write the next four books in the Wordishure series I thought it would be wise to purchase the ISBN numbers ahead of time and that way I would be ready when the next books are completed. I am currently writing "The Silent Knight of Wordishure". It is an illustrated book in full color. It is the perfect add-on to your Wordishure or Christmas children's book collection. The new characters will tickle the kid's funny bone and the message of the bible will touch their hearts!
New Dimensions Church in Carrollton, Michigan was kind enough to invite me, my wife Erica, and my son Micah to their Sunday school program on the 17th. What a great time! I got to read two stories to the 37 kids in attendance, do a question and answer session, and I even got to talk to them about Jesus. Our new friend Sonya was very kind and taught the kids a valuable lesson about how we are accountable for the things that we say to others. Check out these awesome pictures and see the fun we had! Thanks again New Dimensions Church, you are truly a blessing to the community! (click on the photo to enlarge).
What a big place! I got to meet so many new people. I even got a nice email from a girl whose grandmother bought the book on the 9th. I love to hear from my readers!
Thanks to everyone at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for nominating Tales of Wordishure for their honorable Family Friendly Seal. I was delighted to receive this because it helps people who haven't read the book understand that it's not only fun to read, but educational as well. Reaching kids for Jesus Christ is the reason I wrote the book. He is more than a name, and I wanted to be able to show some characteristics of our God at a level that kids can understand and enjoy...because He is our joy!
It was great time, and I just want to say thanks to Kayla, my new little friend who was the first one in line to get her book signed!
I had a great time and talked with some people who might have me speak at their churches, what a great way to meet lots of new friends!
Thank you to everyone who not only bought the book, but to those who took time to talk with me and become a new friend. Book signing is wonderful because I meet all sorts of people who have so many different perspectives. I also get a kick out of the kids who watch me draw as I prepare for the next book.
If you've never been to Noah's Cove Christian store in Birch Run, Michigan, make sure to stop by and say hi to Reno Shores, the store owner. She's a great lady and not only did she let me do a signing, she is now stocking Tales of Wordishure in her Christian Children's Book section!
It sure was great to meet so many people and make new friends here. Thanks to everyone who bought the book and spent time at my table with me. The positive response I get from this book is such a blessing. I know this is my true calling from God.
A special thank you to Allison for giving me these fun drawings. Click on the images below to see a larger version.
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If you're close to Bay City, Michigan, stop into the bookstore and say hi to Brian or any of the friendly staff. They are great folks and supporters of Wordishure.
Anyone living near Pensacola, Florida can now visit this bookstore to pick up a copy of Wordishure! Thank you Dr. Ruckman! Or visit their website here.
There was so many people who came to these signings! Thanks to everyone who came to get this special book for the Christian children in their lives. It meant a whole lot to me to not only me you, but to even hear testimonies and praise Jesus Christ the Lord.
It was great fun meeting all the new people who bought the book at this signing. I hope all the kids are enjoying the adventures, I hope the parents are too!
Thank you Pastor Ouillette for stocking the book in your great store. Anyone in the Bridgeport, Michigan area should stop in a check it out!
This signing was at the Barnes & Noble on Tittabawasse Road. My son Micah even decided to help sign some books. I got to meet other other authors. New friendships were made and even friends from Faith Baptist Church showed up to lend their support!

I had a great time at the Faith Lutheran Bazaar selling and signing my book. I think the funnest part of this whole this is meeting so many great people. Check out my pal Sara and her friends checking out the book!

Everything went great! It was great to meet and talk with fans of Wordishure!