My Lola and I - print version

I had already published an ebook version of this children's book last year but thought about having a print version later.  Because I already finished a painting for the book cover, I did not want to pay for a book designer to develop the cover.  I also wondered how I could design a cover spread (back cover, spine, and front cover) myself.  I scoured the internet for how-to's and concluded that InDesign was the best program available for it. 

Well, InDesign is a very expensive program used by graphic designers in their work.  Fortunately, a free 30-day trial software was available online, so in early November, I downloaded it and bravely set out to learn it.  It was not easy and I made a lot of mistakes trying to form a cover spread.  Finally, I had a graphic designer check to make sure that my design conformed to the printer's specs.  I was soooo pleased that it did, but there was another step.  My publisher and the printer had to approve it.  Two days ago, it was!  I expect to receive the galley in a few days.  What a blessed relief!

A New Book: My Lola and I

When I finished writing a children’s book months ago, I was challenged by the prospect of illustrating it.  I couldn’t draw in a cartoon style no matter how much I’ve tried.  Because I did not want to pay someone else to do the drawings, I decided to paint the book cover.  It did not turn out too badly.  Next, I painted a few illustrations for the interior.  The results were surprisingly good.  Finally, I had it published as an ebook through Booklocker, and will also be available in Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iTunes.  Here are the links:

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HE5I3KS

Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-lola-and-i-cynthia-angeles/1117740436?ean=2940148830726&itm=1&usri=2940148830726

Booklocker (my publisher):
http://booklocker.com/books/7201.html

Itunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/my-lola-and-i/id784953324

Kobo:
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/my-lola-and-i
 

I can't draw like a child!

I just finished writing a short book for children. Although the main character is a little boy, it is based on snapshots of my childhood in the Philippines. It needs to be illustrated but no matter how much I try, I can't seem to draw like a child.  The drawings I produced were not appealing at all.  Hmmmm.