But on Friday, Monica’s first book that she’s illustrated and written will formally release. I’ve already read it and it’s wonderful. It’s a great story about self-esteem and figuring out what’s shining about yourself … it’s a great story for girls and boys. What better way to introduce you to her than a little Q&A.

1. How long have you been an illustrator?
   I have been illustrating books on and off for about 15 years.
2. Did you always know you wanted to illustrate books for children, or did that genre come into focus once you became a mother?
   I remember having to write a paper for one of my art classes when I was in college.  We had to say what our dream job would be as an artist and I wrote that my dream job would be to illustrate children’s books!
3. Do your children like to draw, too?
   I think all children like to draw!  They are all natural artists.  My “children” all in college now, and I don’t really think any of them draw a whole lot anymore, but I do think they are all talented artists.
4. Who are your biggest influences as an artist?
   Of course Maurice Sendak.  I also love William Joyce’s books.  And I find that I am drawn to all of Picasso’s art, even the weird stuff!
5. Star of the Week is the first book you’ve written and illustrated. Do you like doing both, or prefer just illustrating?
   It’s kind of great illustrating you own book because you don’t have to try to get in the author’s head, you’re already there!  When I’m illustrating someone else’s book I try very hard to talk to them and to make my illustrations as close to how they are seeing it as I can get.  Sometimes that can be hard.
6. Do you illustrate by hand, on paper, or on the computer?
   I illustrate by hand, on paper the old-fashioned way!  But I do some clean-up work on the computer.
7. How did you prepare for life as an artist?
   Being very observant of people, colors and just sort of how things relate to each other helps.  Work is kind of feast or famine, so if you are a person that is very used to a regular schedule all the time being an artist might not be for you.   It is also good to not have to live an expensive lifestyle!
8. What’s the most interesting job you’ve ever had?
   That’s very hard to say.  It would almost always be whatever job I am working on at the present.  But I recently painted a giant mural in a toy store and that was really fun!
9. If you could travel anywhere and do anything while you were there, where would it be and what would you do?
   For  a long time the answer to that question would have been to go to Ireland and Scotland and hike in the mountains and visit castles, but I did exactly that last March!  So now I would say that I would really like to go to the Alps and hike there and stay in a house like Heidi’s grandfather in the Shirley Temple movie.  I have wanted to do that since I was a little girl!
10. If you could meet any famous artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
    Easy!  Leonardo DaVinci.  Because he is not just an artist, he was a true renaissance man, I would want to learn about the time he lived in and the people he knew and all of his inventions, plus I hear that he had a lot of secrets.  Maybe he would tell them to me.

How can you support Monica, and your favorite authors and illustrators?

• GO to your local independent bookstore and ask them to carry Star of the Week, and Monica’s other books.
• BUY Star of the Week on Amazon …
  they’ll mail a copy of it to you!
• REVIEW her book on Amazon
  and give it 5 stars!
• MEET her at the Blue Ridge Bookfest
  on May 18 …  buy Star of the Week and
  have her sign it for you!
• BUY Monica’s other books and add them
  to your child’s permanent library.
• SPREAD the word … nothing helps promote a great book than people who have read it and loved it.

Happy Spring! In anticipation of a great new Peggy Noodle story (summer 2013),
the Kindle edition of Peggy Noodle, Hula Hoop Queen is FREE from April 1-3.

Spread the news! Tell your friends!

And if you liked the story, I would love if you would
give it a great review on Amazon.

Happy Hooping!

Thanks for the great, warm welcome, and special thanks to the Rockingham County Reading Association’s executive board; the teachers, administrators and volunteers; and collected elementary PE teachers who collected and shared hula hoops for the day!

Check out photos from our festival Hoopla when you get a chance.

]]> http://dollydozier.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/catch-the-reading-bug-reading-conference/feed/ 0 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 dollysickles Reading Bug Conference Poster 2013 (Large) http://dollydozier.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/celebrating-kindness-indeed/ http://dollydozier.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/celebrating-kindness-indeed/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:10:27 +0000 Dolly R. Sickles http://dollydozier.wordpress.com/?p=1004 Continue reading »]]> I bleed Wolfpack red. Did you know that?

I’m so extremely proud of the NCSU’s (#20) victory over no. 1 Duke on Saturday. I was at the YMCA while the game was on, though it wasn’t until the last 1:30 of the game that my son and I actually stopped to pay attention (I’m no basketball fan, but I can get behind my Wolfpack). Here in North Carolina, like all of the ACC states in the nation, basketball is a big deal.

What an exciting finish! If you missed it, the last ninety seconds of the game were a whirlwind of fouls and free throws, three-point shots, and pure adrenaline. I don’t think Mike Krzyzewski has seen a Pack this strong since the Valvano glory days. But what was even more exciting than the win … even more overwhelming than the sea of red and white-clad fans rushing the court … even more touching than the pride felt by the player’s families for a hard-fought victory … was C.J. Leslie’s remarkable move to help student Will Privette, who was knocked from his wheelchair in the mad dash to center court.

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I’m a big believer in the news reporting on good things happening in the world, too, and this act of kindness is, indeed, remarkable. Here’s the victory dash.

Check out C.J. and Will’s feel-good story across the Web:

+  USA Today
+  Huffington Post
+  The News and Observer
+  Backing the Pack
+  NBC 17

Thanks, media, for focusing on something spectacular!

- – > Have you heard any good news in your neck of the woods? Share it with us!

Peak City Publishing is giving away 10,000 e-books from December 26 – 30! This is not a contest.  There are no rules, no fine print, no hoops to jump through; just a gift from our community of authors, artists and professionals for your support through 2012.  You can download Peggy Noodle, Hula Hoop Queen or all of the Peak City Publishing books by clicking here. We wish you and your family a joyous and Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah and all other celebrations of life, love and new beginnings.

While you’re on Amazon, be sure to click LIKE on the book you’re downloading, and TAG the descriptors at the bottom of the page. And good reviews are always appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

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