R.L. Stine - "Goosebumps" Author - Celebrates Birthday at San Antonio Eatery

Celebrated "Goosebumps"Author R.L. Stine Celebrates Birthday at Tre Trattoria in San Antonio, Texas.

R.L Stine also gave a writing workshop at the Magik Theater.


Best Quote (When asked about revisions) :
"This is my major flaw as a writer, (pause) and as a human being. I always think 'if it's typed -  it's a masterpiece.'"


Best Advice For Writers: Treat it like a job.


Best Trivia: R.L. Stine writes six books a year. It used to be 12.

My Interview: The Valley Morning Star Newspaper & Harlingen Book Festival

This past weekend, at the Harlingen Community Book Festival, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by The Valley Morning Star Newspaper . Here is a link to that article:
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/-95608--.html

The Harlingen Public Library Courtyard - Mark Twain and I discuss politics.

10 Year Old Boy Author Angelo Bowles with Father and Esteemed Author - David Bowles

Literary Giants Sign iPad

The following people signed my iPad while I was at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference in L.A. last month.

I think it is the coolest iPad in the world!

Bruce Coville - Author "My Teacher Is An Alien, Aliens Ate My Homework" Series, Literary Legend

Marla Frazee - Illustrator, Author (2 Time Caldecott Honor, Golden Kite Award)

Kadir Nelson - Illustrator (2 Time Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Award, Sibert Award)

Jerry Pinkney - Illustrator (5 Time Caldecott Honor, Caldecott Medal 2010 "The Lion and The Mouse")

Richard Jesse Watson - Illustrator (New York Times Bestseller List 2006 "The Night Before Christmas," Golden Kite)

Jay Asher- Author ( 2007 New York Times Best Seller "Thirteen Reasons Why")

Libba Bray - Author (New York Times Best Seller "A Great and Terrible Beauty," 2010 Michael L. Printz Award "Going Bovine")

David Small & Sara Stewart- Illustrator & Author (Caldecott Honor, 2001 Caldecott Medal "So You Want To Be President?", #1 New York Times Best Seller) (Caldecott, Michigan Author Award)

Gary Paulsen - Author (3 Time Newberry Honor, Completed 1985 Iditarod Trail Race (1,049 Mile Sled Dog Race, Alaska)

Norton Juster - Author, Academy Award 1963 - "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics," "The Phantom Tollbooth"

Arthur K. Levine -  Editor (Harry Potter, Scholastic), Author

Diane Muldrow - Editor (Golden Books), Author

Paul O. Zelinsky - Illustrator (Caldecott Medal "Rapunzel," 3 Caldecott Honors)

David Diaz - Illustrator (Caldecott Medal "Smoky Night," 3 Pura Belpré Awards)

Mark Twain - Author … Wait, no, ... scratch that. Mark Twain didn't sign it.

Related Link: Paul O. Zelinsky thought I was so weird he posted a picture of me with my iPad on his Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-O-Zelinsky/194853943905206

You'll have to scroll down to Aug.6. to see it.

Happy Creating,

Carolyn Dee Flores

Pictures From SCBWI Pajama Pool Party - 2011 Summer Conference L.A.

Announcing My New Picture Book Contract to Illustrate "The Frog/La Rana" for Arte Público Press(Piñata Books)

Wow! What a great birthday! I shopped with my friends, ate great food, and watched episodes of "Fame", (yeah, THAT Fame - the series from the 80's), all day.

 Topping everything off, when I arrived home I was notified that I had just won the contract to illustrate a new children's picture book for  Piñata Books/Arte Público Press tenatively titled "The Frog/La Rana" based on a traditional Spanish sing-a-long nursery rhyme. I am blown away!

This is my second children's book illustration contract this year. I am also illustrating a YA book titled "Deerskin Daughters: True Stories of Native American Women" written by Peggy Caravantes.

Underwater singing frogs AND Deerskin Daughters! It doesn't get any better than that!

Here I am - on my birthday - playing a lot of songs on the jukebox.

Have a great week,
Carolyn Dee Flores
www.carolynflores.com

David Diaz at Books,Boots, and Buckskins SCBWI Austin

Every once in a while, you have a day which really kind of changes the course of your career a little bit - and for me that day was February 19th of this year at the "Books, Boots, and Buckskin" SCBWI Regional Conference in Austin, Texas.

I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with two of the finest illustrators in the world - literally.
David Diaz and Julian Hector.
Today is about David Diaz.

Here is a picture of me with David, as well as a picture of two David Diaz books which I own - "Me, Frida" and "Smoky Night". "Smoky Night" - beautifully written by Eve Bunting - is a Caldecott winner. Both - truly works of art.


Trivia:
My mother, who is also a writer, was at the conference. She told me she saw David Diaz drawing on an empty cake box outside in the hallway before the silent auction. Sure enough, a few minutes later, there it was on the table. I bid on it and won! So, here it is … in a place of honor in my studio … to remind me … always remain unique.

Notice my Van Gogh and Charles Dickens action figures. Van Gogh actually has a detachable ear.

Pleased To Announce My New Book Contract for "Deerskin Daughters"

Hello Everyone,

The Best of News.

I signed a contract with Mountain Press Publishing Company to illustrate their new YA book titled (tentatively) Deerskin Daughters : True Stories of Native American Women.
The book is due out in 2013, and I am very proud to be working on this book with acclaimed writer Peggy Caravantes - author of 10 non-fiction biographies since 2002 for middle grade and young adults. I've read several of her books and I love them. Lucky me.

Here are a few of the wonderful books written by Peggy Caravantes.

Keep having fun everyone,
Carolyn Dee Flores
Writer/Illustrator

Jeanette Larson's New Picture Book - "Hummingbirds"

Did you know that fossils of hummingbirds are rare because their bones are so fragile? Or that the Nasca desert drawing of a hummingbird measures over 300 ft long? Or that hummingbirds have no feet?

The hummingbird, which is native only to the Americas, serves as the inspiration for many legends and myths.

Jeanette Larson and Adrienne Yorinks’ new picture book - "Hummingbirds: Facts and Folklore from the Americas," published by Charlesbridge, explores many of these stories and is filled with interesting facts about the hummingbird and its unique characteristics.

However, what catches your eye immediately about this book, is that the illustrations in this book are quilted. I've never seen anything like it before.

What a great idea!

 

A smiling Jeanette Larson with her beautiful new book in one hand and an actual quilt-piece illustration in the other hand. Taken at the recent Austin SCBWI "Books, Boots, and Buckskins" Writer's Conference. Feb 19, 2011.

Interview with Diane Muldrow, Editorial Director Golden Books/Random House

Diane Muldrow is Editorial Director at Golden Books/Random House. She is  the author of "We Planted a Tree", and other children's books - including several board books.  She is also the editor of keepsake editions of many Little Golden Book Classics such as "The Little Red Hen" and "The Bunny Book."

Click here for an interview with Diane Muldrow by Kimberly Gee - SCBWI Illustrator Showcase Mentee: Class of 2010.

I was fortunate enough to attend Diane Muldrow’s “Creating the Picture Book: Master Class” at the 2010 SCBWI  Conference in L.A. I heard the class sold out in 15 minutes.

Lucky me, I got in. Diane Muldrow's class took my understanding of picture books and the picture book format to an entirely new level. I recommend it highly. Not only that, but the talent in that class was crazy cool. Here are just a few of the notables:

Bradley Cooper - Honorable mention - Tomie dePaola 2011 Award - (Announced yesterday)

John Deininger -  

http://www.johndeininger.com

National and Regional SCBWI portfolio awards (Honorable mention, '08 International Winter Conference; 2nd runner-up, '09 Western Washington Conference).

Debbie Ohi -   

 http://www.inkygirl.com

Honor Award & a Mentorship Award in the 2010 SCBWI Illustrator Portfolio Showcase in L.A.

Currently illustrating a book by writer/comedian/actor Michael Ian Black for Simon Schuster, due out in 2012.

Sheli Peterson -  

http://www.spetersenillustration.com

Clients include Highlights for Children,

Ilustrator of six children's books including:  

• Gigi and the Birthday Ringby Giselle Fernandez  
• Voladores by Patricia Petersen  
• Los Genios de la Montaña by Raquel Benatar  
• Itza—The Boy Who Rode a Jaguar by Leonard Bernard  
• Magali—An Aztec Legend about Good Fortune by Patricia Petersen

These are just a few more SCBWI success stories.

Keep writing and illustrating,

Carolyn Dee Flores

http://www.carolynflores.com/

It's A Total Mystery - Carolyn Dee Flores, Jesse Borrego

Before I was a writer/artist/illustrator … I was a songwriter.

I've never posted a bio before, but I ran into this link today on  Jesse Borrego's - "I Love Jesse Borrego " page, and I would like  to share it with you. 

The song is "It's A Total Mystery." It features actor Jesse Borrego and myself.

You might recognize  Jesse from "Fame," "Dexter",  "24", and "Con Air."

What a thrill it was having him in the video - and Jorge Sandoval did a great job directing.

Click here to see music video "It's A Total Mystery." Song written, performed, and produced by Carolyn Dee Flores.


"It's A Total Mystery." Song written, performed, and produced by Carolyn Dee Flores.



Hope you like it.

Carolyn Dee Flores

http://www.carolynflores.com/

My Illustration for Tomie DePaola 2011 Heidi Award

My illustration entry for the Tomie dePaola 2011 Heidi Award.

Heidi - By Carolyn Dee Flores



The challenge was to illustrate the following text from Johanna Spyri's classic children's book  Heidi.

"From the pleasant town of Maienfeld a footpath leads up through shady green pastures to the foot of the high peaks that gaze down solemnly and majestically on the valley below. Anyone who sets out in the path will soon catch the keen fragrance of low mountain herbs and grasses, for the footpath rises straight and steep to the Alps.

One bright, sunny June morning, a tall, sturdy-looking young woman, evidently a native of the mountains, was climbing this narrow path. She led by the hand a little girl, whose cheeks glowed as if there were a ruddy flame under deep-tanned skin. And what wonder? In spite of the hot June sun, the child was bundled up as if she were to confront the sharpest frost. She could not have been five years old, but it was impossible to tell anything about her natural figure, for she wore two or three dresses, one over the other, and a big red cotton scarf around her neck; her feet were lost in heavy hobnailed shoes, and the little girl looked quite shapeless as she made her hot and laborious way up the mountain."

How impressive to see everyone's interpretations! Wonderful experience.   

Carolyn Dee Flores

www.carolynflores.com

Soon I will post Part2 of  My Top 15 iPad Apps for the Writer/Illustrator (The Gadgets) #7-11