SEA HORSE, RUN! wins Readers Choice Award from Reader Views

“Sea Horse, run!” is the second place winner in the  “Children – Early Reader (6 to 8)” category of the 2011 Reader Views Literary Awards. Winners were announced March 7, 2012, and all winners are given a gold “2012” logo to place on their website or on the cover of their book.

Based in Austin, Texas, Reader Views has been granting awards to independent publishers since 2006. Reader Views began as a review service for independent publishers in December 2005, and since then their book reviews have been featured on television and in major newspapers throughout the United States. They offer awards in a variety of categories including regional, global, and specialized awards. Here is an excerpt of the eligibility and judging rules for the 2011 Award from the Reader Views Award entry page:

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Eligibility
Reader Views Literary Awards are open to all authors regardless of residency, however, the books must be published in the English language and targeted for the North American market. Work published by major book publishers are not eligible.  Books must have a 2011 copyright date. (Copyright date is on the copyright page of the printed book. Yes, that means copyright date – no, it doesn’t mean a copyright date of 2010 and publication in 2011. This means copyright in 2011.) Submission for more than one category or more than one title is acceptable. Books that have racist themes will be not be accepted.

Judging
All initial judging will be done by reviewers from Reader Views. They are experts in their fields as well as avid readers.  Consider them your reading audience.  Criteria for judging is content/originality, presentation/design, innovation, social relevance, production quality, enjoyment/impact, plot/story line, and resoursefulness (depending on category.) Three finalists in each category will be determined by a point system. Final judging will be determined by a jury of judges.

Each category has a First, Second and Honorable Mention placement. More than one mention in the category means there is a tie. If there are less than three in a category it means the remaining entries’ scores were below the cut-off point. Our judges are strict!

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How do you know if an award dedicated to independent publishers is legitimate? Read this great article published on WRITER BEWARE in 2010: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-tips-on-evaluating-literary.html

Reader Views is a legitimate, established service for independent publishers and writers. The Association of Independent Authors recognized Reader Views as one of the best websites for both book awards (see winners list) and reviews (see winners list). In January 2007 Preditors & Editors gave Reader Views its “Truly Useful Site Award.” This award is given to websites, designed for writers and publishers, that have proven not only useful or entertaining but also set a standard for other sites to aim for.

If you would like to enter your independently published book into the Reader Views book award contest, visit their award page where you can also subscribe to their newsletter. Thank you, Reader Views, for the award!

New Cover Designed April 2012 for 2nd Printing.

SEA HORSE, RUN! is the “Book of the Month” at the Dallas World Aquarium

When creating “SEA HORSE, RUN!”, I visited seven different aquariums, but most of my sea dragon research was conducted at the Dallas World Aquarium. Their leafy sea dragon exhibit is the best I’ve ever seen! I often tell students in the Dallas Metro area that I researched my book in downtown Dallas at the DWA Zoo, so I was thrilled last week to learn that the Dallas World Aquarium featured my book in their Winter 2011 newsletter, Eco Currents.

Since “SEA HORSE, RUN!” was the “Book of the Month,” it was also featured in their gift shop.

Many thanks to the Dallas World Aquarium for highlighting my book.

SEA HORSE, RUN! wins second award

Big News for November 2011:

“Sea Horse, run!” 

is a FINALIST in the

2011 USA Best Book Awards  

in the

Children’s Picture Book Hardcover Fiction Category.

Read the Press Release for the 2011 USA Best Book Awards

The winner in my category is by far one of my favorite books of the year:

Memoirs of a Goldfish

Written by Devin Scillian and illustrated by Tim Bowers.

Congratulations Devin, Tim, and Sleeping Bear Press!

I bought a copy, and

I must say…

You made a spectacular book!

Old Schoolhouse Review

Karen Yuen with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine posted an outstanding review for “Sea Horse, run!” on the magazine’s website today.

Here’s an excerpt:

“I highly recommend this book for its amazing artwork and educational value. This should be a must-read for every elementary student studying oceanography. You’ll be glad you read this book, especially in preparation for an aquarium visit!” (Read the full review.)

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (TOS) reaches out to homeschoolers across the country through their website and 30,000 print issues produced each quarter. Each issue is packed with tips, information, and resources for homeschoolers.

Thank you, Karen, for the wonderful review!

Press Release 22 August 2011

Book Deal Signed With Mariposa Press: Bookaroos’ Books Now In France

22 August 2011, Fayetteville, AR, USA

Thanks to recent exposure of “Sea Horse, run!” at American trade shows, Bookaroos Publishing has signed a deal with Mariposa Press for distribution of Bookaroos’ books in France.

“Sea Horse, run!” was listed as the picture book winner in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards catalog which was distributed at Book Expo America (“BEA”) in New York (May 24-26, 2011). “Sea Horse, run!” was also on display in a cooperative booth staffed by members of the Independent Book Publisher’s Association (“IBPA”) at BEA and the American Library Association in New Orleans (ALA 2011, June 23-28). The national exposure for Bookaoos’ new title paid off when “Sea Horse, run!” caught the attention of Mariposa Press, a distributor of English language titles to bookstores throughout France. The company’s President, Laurie Blum Guest, requested samples of every book published by Bookaroos.

Bookaroos Publishing has four children’s picture books in print: Tiny Snail, The Kaleidonotes & the Mixed-Up Orchestra, Polliwog, and the award-winning “Sea Horse, run!”. Tammy Carter Bronson, President of Bookaroos Publishing, says, “We feel our picture books have a timeless, universal quality, and we are thrilled that Mariposa Press has chosen to represent all of our books for distribution in France.”

"Sea Horse, run!" at Book Expo America 2011

All four books will be highlighted in the Mariposa Press Fall/Winter children’s catalogue which will be distributed to bookstores and to potential buyers at France’s children’s book fair, the Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse (Nov 30-Dec 5, 2011 à Montreuil) and at the French Book-Expo in Paris, Salon du Livre, March 16-19, 2012.

Mariposa Press has been in existence since 1981. Prior to taking over Mariposa, company president Laurie Blum Guest worked in New York as both a book packager and editor with Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, and Henry Holt. She also created her own series of books with 63 titles, sold several million copies, and has been a regular guest on CNN television.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Tammy Carter Bronson, e-mail books@bookaroos.com, or visit the Bookaroos Publishing website at: http://www.bookaroos.com.

QS? Contact: Matthew Shane Bronson, Publicity Department
Bookaroos Publishing, Inc., P. O. Box 8518, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone/Fax 479-443-0339 or 479-443-6789

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Press Release 21 July 2011

PDF: Press Release 21 July 2011

ARKANSAS AUTHOR FEATURED AT DALLAS FESTIVAL

21 July 2011, Fayetteville, AR, USA

Arkansas author and illustrator Tammy Carter Bronson will speak on Thursday, July 28th at DallasKidsRead!, the Dallas Children’s Book Fair & Literary Festival. Mrs. Bronson will discuss how she created “Sea Horse, run!”, her new award-winning picture book.

DallasKidsRead! was started in 1995 by Dr. Harry Robinson, Jr., President and CEO of the African American Museum in Fair Park. Since then, the event has risen to new heights and has expanded to reach thousands of children in the Dallas community. The 2011 DallasKidsRead! event will be held at the J. Erik Jonsson Dallas Central Library. The event will feature workshops, a meet and greet with several award-winning authors and illustrators, as well as a book sale. DallasKidsRead! is presented by AT&T, in partnership with the creative-learning non-profit Big Thought and the Dallas Public Library. The purpose of the literary festival is to increase the literacy rate of children and to help foster a true love for reading.

Tammy Carter Bronson lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. For ten years Mrs. Bronson has travelled to Dallas speaking with elementary school children about the writing, illustrating and publishing process. Mrs. Bronson’s program encourages children to read as many books as possible in order to create their own stories. She is the author and illustrator of three previous picture books: Tiny Snail (2000), The Kaleidonotes & the Mixed-Up Orchestra (2001), and Polliwog (2004). The award-winning “Sea Horse, run!” (2011) is her fourth book.

Event: DallasKidsRead!
Location: J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 2nd floor / 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Time: 4 – 7:00 PM

QS? Contact: Matthew Shane Bronson, Publicity Department
Bookaroos Publishing, Inc., P. O. Box 8518, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone/Fax 479-443-0339 or 479-443-6789, books@bookaroos.com, http://www.bookaroos.com

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Read a detailed description of the event on Tammy’s Main Blog.

“Sea Horse, run!” Wins First Award June 2011

Click to view the PDF: Press Release 14 June 2011

ARKANSAS AUTHOR WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD

14 June 2011, Fayetteville, AR, USA

Arkansas author and illustrator Tammy Carter Bronson won the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Award for her new children’s picture book, “Sea Horse, run!”.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest not-for-profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. The award is open to all indie book authors and publishers including small to mid-size publishers, university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book written in English. Awards are given in sixty different categories, but according to Mrs. Bronson, “The children’s picture book category is very popular and competitive. At best I hoped to place as one of the three finalists. I never imagined I would win!”

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards were established in 2008 to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books of the year. Winners receive gold medals and are featured in national news media and events. Presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (www.ibppg.com), award winners also receive a cash prize and the opportunity to display gold award stickers on their book.

Tammy Carter Bronson lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She is the author and illustrator of three previous picture books: Tiny Snail (2000), The Kaleidonotes & the Mixed-Up Orchestra (2001), and Polliwog (2004). The award-winning “Sea Horse, run!” is her fourth picture book.

Two book signings are scheduled in Fayetteville: one at Barnes & Noble on Saturday, July 9^th at 3:00 PM and another at Nightbird Books, Saturday, August 6^th at 1:30 PM.

QS? Contact: Matthew Shane Bronson, Publicity Department
Bookaroos Publishing, Inc., P. O. Box 8518, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone/Fax 479-443-0339 or 479-443-6789, books@bookaroos.com, http://www.bookaroos.com

Category Audience Title Pages Price Binding ISBN Publication Date Publisher Websites

Children’s Picture Book Ages 3 to 8 years Sea Horse, run! 32 pages with 21 illustrations $17.00 Hardcover 978-0-9678167-7-7 June 1, 2011 Bookaroos Publishing, Inc. http://www.bookaroos.com http://www.seahorserun.com http://www.tammybronson.com

Press Release 24 January 2011

Image via Wikipedia

Click to view PDF: Press Release 24 January 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WRITER/ARTIST EMULATES DR. SEUSS

24 January 2011, Fayetteville, AR, USA

In 1954 Dr. Seuss set out to create a primer that would be more appealing to children than Dick and Jane. Three years later The Cat in the Hat was published. “I loved The Cat in the Hat when I was a kid,” explains Tammy Carter Bronson, the author and illustrator of Sea Horse, run! “It was pure fantasy, but my story needed to happen in a real place.”

The coral reef was the perfect setting for the brilliant colors in Mrs. Bronson’s collages. “I do a lot of research for my books,” she says, “but the art requires the most. I always start in the library, but for Sea Horse, run! I also visited seven different aquariums across the country.” Mrs. Bronson uses dry-brush watercolor with some pencil and colored pencil then she cuts and pastes everything together in the computer adding a few special effects.

Seuss limited himself to a 1^st grade word list for The Cat in the Hat ultimately using only 236 different words for his story which was 1,623 words in length. “I wanted to limit myself to half as many total words as The Cat in the Hat,” says Mrs. Bronson, “about 800, and in the end I managed an 849 word story with 282 different words.”

SEA HORSE, RUN! Book Cover

But the last thing Mrs. Bronson wanted to do was write a story that would only appeal to 1^st grade readers. “I tried to emulate what Dr. Seuss did for The Cat in the Hat, but I wanted Sea Horse, run! to have an environmental flair. I think I’ve created a primer for the 21^st century that will be fun for teachers and parents, too.”

Tammy Carter Bronson is the author and illustrator of three picture books: Tiny Snail, The Kaleidonotes & the Mixed-Up Orchestra, and Polliwog. Sea Horse, run! is her fourth book and will be available in bookstores June 1, 2011.

QS? Contact: Matthew Shane Bronson, Publicity Department
Bookaroos Publishing, Inc., P. O. Box 8518, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone/Fax 479-443-0339, Alt Fax 479-443-6789
books@bookaroos.com, http://www.bookaroos.com

 

Category Audience Title Pages Price Binding ISBN Publication Date Publisher Websites

Children’s Picture Book Ages 3 to 8 years Sea Horse, run! 32 pages with 21 illustrations $17.00 Hardcover 978-0-9678167-7-7 June 1, 2011 Bookaroos Publishing, Inc. http://www.bookaroos.com http://www.seahorserun.com http://www.tammybronson.com

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