Tina Lost in a Crowd by Miriam Hurdle #NewRelease #childrensbook

On By Teri PolenIn Promotions

Most of you will probably recognize today’s guest for her children’s books and poetry collections. I had the pleasure of reading her newest release and adored it. Welcome Miriam Hurdle!

Hi Teri, it’s wonderful to be here on your lovely blog. Thank you so much for your kindness to host my Book Release Tour and allow me to share my process from pen to publication with your readers.

The Making of Tina Lost in a Crowd, Part 5

Finding an Illustrator

I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). On one blog post, it featured an illustrator and her work. I liked the style of her artworks, so I contacted her and got an idea of how much she would charge for the number of pages in my book and how long it would take to complete the job.

Some blogging friends recommended some websites with illustration services, and I checked them out. The illustrators charged by hours. They didn’t have a portfolio with sample artworks, so I couldn’t tell if I liked their style.

After much search and consideration, my decision was to search for an illustrator on fiverr.com. I could see the services they provide and their sample work. Some would provide limited, and some unlimited revisions.

I do watercolor painting and wish to illustrate my book, but I don’t do portrait painting. There are thousands of gigs out there, and it would take forever to scroll through all the pages to find one. I narrowed it down to watercolor, and children’s illustration, and got 660 services. It took me six months to find one I liked. I paid for one sample page and when I ordered the rest, it became part of my entire book.

After I accepted the sample page, I sent the story summary and the description of each page to her. She then sent me a few sketches at a time. I gave her my feedback and suggestions. She revised them and sent them to me. Sometimes I respected her creativity and approved them. But if they didn’t correspond with the story, I asked for further revisions until they were done to my satisfaction. It was a pleasant experience working with Victoria Skakandi.

Blurb

Tina invited her friend Erica to attend a popular Tchaikovsky’s Spectacular concert on a summer evening with her parents. During the intermission, her dad left the seat to buy some snacks. Tina and Erica followed him wanting to use the restroom. The shoving crowd pushed them away, and they lost sight of him. It would be impossible to fight through the 18,000 people to find him or go back to Tina’s mom. What would the girls do?

This story tells about what happened to Tina and Erica after they got lost. Children can adapt to the learning from different situations they may observe or encounter. Adults could have discussions with the children about the situations to help them develop problem-solving skills.

Purchase Links

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091M586M7

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162309741

My Review It’s been years since I’ve read a children’s book – and I thoroughly enjoyed this charming tale. Tina just finished third grade and is looking forward to her summer and spending time with her friend. She and her mother plan a list of activities, something I did with my sons when they were little. The family decides to attend an outdoor concert at a large venue and bring along Tina’s friend Erica. It’s a scary, but very realistic situation when the two girls get lost during intermission. In the author’s note at the end of the book she mentions this event is based on a true story involving her own daughter – a parent’s nightmare! Luckily, Tina and her parents have talked about what to do if they were ever separated, something all parents should discuss with their children.

The illustrations are vibrant and colorful and go along well with the text. With summer coming up, this would be a fun story to read with children and would also spur conversations about what they would do in Tina’s situation. This is a book I’d highly recommend to parents and caregivers of young children.

About the Author

Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.

Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.

Contact Miriam at –

Website/Blog: https://theshowersofblessings.com

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/Miriam-Hurdle/e/B07K2MCSVW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17252131.Miriam_Hurdle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhurdle112

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Miriam-Hurdle-Author-100123351515424

26 thoughts on “Tina Lost in a Crowd by Miriam Hurdle #NewRelease #childrensbook”

    2. In the process of searching, I asked myself if the illustrations represent my painting style if I were able to paint portrait. It was fortunate I eventually found one. Doing a sample page first was a good idea after all. Prior to ordering from this illustrator, I ordered the whole package to another artist, and he waited for the whole month to tell me he couldn’t do according to my description.

      Thank you for being here, Darlene. I’m so glad to share this process. I look forward to your book tour.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. A couple illustrators failed to deliver month after month. I felt discouraged at one point and took a little break before searching again. Six months later, I finally found this gig who is very busy and had 12 jobs in queue at the time I ordered. After I ordered the entire job, the delivery dates were extended many times and took six months to complete. I can’t remember the number of times I almost gave up.

      Thank you for being here, Staci, to listen to my process. I appreciate that!

      Like

      Reply

  4. Pingback: Tina Lost in a Crowd by Miriam Hurdle: On Book Tour, April 23, 2021 | The Showers of Blessings

  9. So wonderful to see Miriam and her book making the rounds. I don’t have any little ones at home anymore, Teri, and the grandson has progressed onward to graphic novels, so I haven’t read many preschooler books in a while. But this was great fun. A lovely story and wonderful illustrations. I loved your review. Congrats again to Miriam.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you for coming over to visit, Diana! I don’t have little ones at home either. Good to hear your grandson is into graphic novels. Kids grow fast and their reading interest change quickly.

      Teri is wonderful in hosting my tour and did a wonderful review. I’m thankful for her support.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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