Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the cost of popularity released The book is finally out online! Amazon.com will be between 3 - 5 days on their system, possibly sooner. The books are available through CreateSpace which is an Amazon.com company. Below is the direct link to the books and below that, you will find a direct link to all of our books with their CreateSpace listings. https://www.createspace.com/4442904 http://www.freckles-the-bunny-series.ca/createspace-sales.html Rescues and Donating We began helping rescue animals at first by donating $1/book to the Humboldt & District SPCA. We've donated books and packages as well as started placing the animals into books. Sherlock's write list all of the great reasons to adopt but this just doesn't seem like enough when trying to help animals. We are now also going to be posting events for these groups that we will be working with, whether they are in every book or just one.
Also, as all of the books mention, please read the CreateSpace page to find out who we are donating to. For some time we've donated sales through those links to the Humboldt & District SPCA and while it hasn't been much (most people don't use those links), it was some. Now we are beginning new things with the books. Kimberly from Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary had planned to tell everyone about Rilo and Ranger being part of this book. Help with sales is always appreciated big or small but we feel that it wouldn't be fair to her or the ducks if we didn't donate $1/book to her group for awhile. We would very much like to give everyone a chance so if any Humboldt & District supporters do wish to have their' $1/book donated, they just need to email me and let me know on either the Facebook page or from the website. Decisions like this are never easy but they have to be made. $1/Book sold through CreateSpace will be donated to Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary as of immediately. *Book pertaining to any Freckles the Bunny Series or Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series book sold through CreateSpace links. To learn more about CreateSpace sales, please visit our page or their website.
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Upcoming Books Freckles Books #Freckles the #Bunny #Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Cost of Popularity should be out by month's end. #Book # 6: The Freckle Monster will be out this #Summer. I am already beginning something totally new for book # 7. Freckles and her friends will be dressed as princes and princesses for a#manners book which will come out this fall. Are there any manners that you would like to see?? Comment below. Sherlock's Books I am currently working on book # 2 though I don't know the title yet. It is a little more slow going as I am trying to work on two series' at once plus finish off Freckles book # 5. UpdatesNew Video Stay tuned for an updated version of the video, "Real Animals Intro." The first one done didn't include Stew I or II and Freckles III. Once it is updated, you will be able to find it on the website and Youtube. More Surprises I have a few other surprises and updates in store for this month and the next so be sure to read the updates on the website or the fan pages so you don't miss out!! Need Votes! We are still in need of votes for the book cover contest. You can vote on both Freckles books and the one Sherlock book. 1 star is poor and 5 stars is awesome. Simply click on the stars to vote. Voting times vary between 1 - 2 days, so please keep voting for us! A special thank you to all that have been voting! This is the 2014 contest so voting will be available for some time. http://authorsdb.com/books/2014-book-cover-contest/children-s-books-2014 Supporting Rescues Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary
As you know, we have been trying to help rescues like Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary, in hopes of helping them find loving homes for the animals they care for. One of the new things we will now be doing is to help share some of their events. Below is their post: "Duck-Duck-Goose" Blue Ribbon Photo Contest! Our 6th annual Blue Ribbon Photo Fundraiser Contest is currently underway! Enter a photo of your duck or goose today for a chance to win one of our GIANT & GORGEOUS prize ribbons! http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/photocontestrules.htm Rescue Animals in Book # 5
Stew's Anti-bullying Poster
Pre-order
Just a reminder that you can pre-order both books now! I am expecting to possibly sell all of my first order of book 6 when it comes out. These books will also be available online via Createspace ($1/book to the Humboldt & District SPCA) and Amazon.com once they are out.
Pre-Order Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Cost of Popularity - $10.00 CAD + S&H. Written by Vickianne Caswell. Illustrated by Anastasia Drogaitseva. Pre-order Here Freckles has always been a good little bunny that was taught to be nice and caring towards others. The opportunity to be popular arises and Freckles soon finds herself choosing popularity over friends. Two classes get to go on a field trip to the local bakery where Boots' brother Sherlock works. Freckles has been told that Boots' family is not cool and weird. Freckles and her new friends are soon laughing at the bakery owner and Boots' family, costing Freckles her old friends. Join Freckles as she learns that being different is alright and that being popular doesn't mean you have to be mean, in another funny adventure. Guest appearances by Sherlock, a popular real animal and Purrsia, a character that will have your child looking to see what is stuck in her fur, in every illustration she is in. 30 color illustrations. 8 x 10 size. ISBN 10: 1495326675 ISBN 13: 978-1495326677 MORALS/LESSONS LEARNED: * Peer pressure. * Do what is right and not what others tell you. * Being popular is not always as good as it seems. * Treat others the way you want to be treated. * It is not nice to laugh or make fun of others' misfortunes.
Pre-Order Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 6: The Freckle Monster (Coming June 2014!) - $11.50 CAD + S&H.
(cover coming at a later date!) Written by Vickianne Caswell & Erika-Elizabeth Caswell. Illustrated by Anastasia Drogaitseva. Pre-order Here Freckles is sure she is going to win the anti-bullying poster contest. Freckles is very disappointed when she learns Stew wins and with the help of the snobby weasel girls, she begins to show Stew how mad and jealous she is. Can Freckles turn things around and fix the hurt feelings she has caused by bullying or will the Freckle Monster keep controlling her? Meanwhile, Freckles' lies has caused a lot of other fighting. Lying, name calling, hitting and much more happens between the classmates and someone gets hurt. Will the children remember why they drew these posters or will they remain bullies themselves? Est. 32 color illustrations and a poster. More may be added at a later date. ISBN 10: 1497514231 ISBN 13: 978-1497514232 MORALS/LESSONS LEARNED: * Hitting is wrong. * It is not nice to be jealous of others. * Consequences of actions. * Don't run at the pool. * Jealousy can lead to bad things. * How to treat friends. * How to overcome jealousy and anger. * Bullying is wrong and the different forms (except cyber bullying) of bullying. * Revenge is wrong and leads to bad things. Book Bundles
Book bundling packages have been created. We currently have 2 on our sales page (see the pre-order links above). If you are thinking of buying 4 copies or different books, be sure to check it out!
Book # 5's Trailer
We are very excited this year! New and exciting things have been happening here! Why?
1. We are constantly improving the books, new topics and learning so much along the way!
2. This year, we will be helping some rescue groups by placing their adoptable pets in our stories as background characters. - Freckles books. 3. We have a new series out which is getting a lot of attention. Be sure to check out Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series' website and Facebook fan page. 4. We are on a roll for winning awards for reviews (every book has earned a 5 star!) and now we have the opportunity to win "2014 Best Book Cover Contest." This is just a small portion of what is going on! In the meantime, we need you to vote! You can vote daily or every 2 days (the system is a bit picky). The link is below and we have the following books entered: 1. Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 4: Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas 2. Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Cost of Popularity 3. Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series, Book # 1: Sherlock, the Cat Who Couldn't Meow You can vote for all 3 books and here is how: 1. Follow the link and find the books. 2. It is the star rating system, 1 star being poor and 5 stars being awesome! 3. Click on the star to rate it and you can vote for other books too, not just one. http://authorsdb.com/books/2014-book-cover-contest/children-s-books-2014 Be sure to visit Freckles' website or our Youtube channel for the latest video preview for book # 5! Rilo and Ranger to be in Freckles book # 5.
I mentioned around a week ago that we were very pleased to be working with Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary on finding homes for their animals. Here is a photo of Rilo and Ranger, two ducks who will be featured in Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Cost of Popularity. Rilo and Ranger are not only going to have their photo in this next Freckles book but will be drawn in as well! Anastasia has already done a wonderful job with their cuteness! Here are some other places that you can find Rilo and Ranger: 1. On our Freckles the Bunny Series website under Pets and Rescues, then under Rescue Links. 2. Pinterest (Freckles and Sherlock's accounts) 3. In the album entitled, "Rescue Animals in Books" in each of the fan pages. Vickianne Caswell, author Freckles the Bunny Series Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series 4. Click on the photo to go directly to their adoption page! We hope these two handsome ducks find forever homes together! A special thanks to Majestic Waterfowl for going over some of our ducky facts and for providing us with some information for Sherlock's next book! Be sure to check out their website for useful waterfowl information including books! Lastly, I am going to be slowly cutting out the info I am putting out on both pages. If you aren't a fan of Sherlock's fan page, you will begin to miss out on his updates and vice versa. Each page has it's own fan base, series, website and fan page. Please be sure to check them out as I don't want to bombard everyone with posts by doing both on each site/fan page. Thanks! It has been a very busy time for us here between Christmas and a new book series. I'm afraid that it's been too busy to post. I am late in saying this but to all those that celebrate, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Christmas went well for us though we are still not back in our home. We were with family though and together so one could not ask for more. Now for some updates on what I have been busy with: Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series
This Website
Book Reviews It seems that I have little to no time to do reviews for other authors anymore. At least not for chapter books. My daughter has offered to take on this role and has been doing a great job of it. While some of it is slow, she is far faster at this then I am with lack of time. She has already done two reviews on her own (videos still need to be done) and has had compliments on them. Great job! Freckles the Bunny Series Freckles is now on her 5th book this year! This book should be out near the end of February. The book is entitled, "Freckles and the Cost of Popularity." Learn more about it by visiting her website. A video preview should be out sometime later this month. All Websites
E-BookI have not yet added anymore books on Smashwords (nor updated) as I am currently waiting for my husband to read the contracts for putting them on Kindle. I will bring you news at a later date to let you know if the e-books go on Amazon or if I add more onto Smashwords, or both. Well that is all of the news here. We hope all of our readers and fans are well!
I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year (if you celebrate)! New things in the works for this year! Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series, Book # 1: Sherlock, the Cat Who Couldn't Meow Sherlock's book is complete and just waiting for editing and a cover. It should be out by the end of the month. Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series , #chapter #Book # 1: #Sherlock, the #Cat Who Couldn't #Meow. A New Domain He is far more popular then expected and seems to be drawing quite a bit of interest for himself. Due to this, we've made a website for him and bought a domain. You can find it below. http://Sherlock-the-Remarkable-Cat-Series.ca Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Cost of Popularity We've already begun putting together Freckles The Bunny Series , Book #5: #Freckles and the Cost of #Popularity. It should be out around the end of February. A preview will be out for this at a later time. Humboldt and District SPCA We've added Petfinder #Pet of the Month for the Humboldt SPCA onto our sites. As many know, $1/book from all Createspace (an Amazon company, therefore Amazon checkouts) sales from Freckles books goes to them. This will be the same for Sherlock's. Sherlock's Facebook Fan Page If you haven't already, be sure to check out Sherlock's facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/Sherlock.The.Remarkable.Cat.Series Sherlock Signs Books Lastly, Sherlock's books will now be signed as well just as Freckles' are. You can expect to see his paw on any books purchased through me, just as Freckles' are. The paw prints you see were made from their real paws. We will be sure to post a sample on his fan page once it is done!
Wow! Things have been so busy! I've almost fully recuperated (as fully as one can ever be after such a loss) from the fire and so much has happened since then and since my last blog post! Most of it is Freckles the Bunny Series news of course, but there is some other news, so I hope you will continue to read. Here we go: Other Authors Reviews Things have taken an unexpected turn this year, starting with the fire. Book sales have doubled in a small amount of time (though they are still small) and I am finding less and less time to get things done while juggling marketing, family, etc. I am finding it hard to make time to write at times. Unfortunately, this means that I need to cut down on the reviews. While I still intend to get those done as promised, I can no longer do any long books. This means chapter books. I simply don't have the time to read them. I hope you will understand. At the moment, I am not taking in anything new. I am still trying to catch up on the books I am behind on. Thank you for your understanding! Youtube Channel Videos I've added a bunch of new stuff to the Youtube Channel. I can't remember them all but of course there are more animal videos and some new things. I will just mention some of what I think is new. Some of them are playlists. Playlists: 1. Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series playlist 2. Craft Time with Erika-Elizabeth playlist There may be some other playlists that were not mentioned earlier on there as well. Videos: 1. Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 4: Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas Preview (read by the author) http://youtu.be/X3jgTHKGi5g 2, Sherlock the Remarkable Cat Series Pre-Intro http://youtu.be/twRtgIWO7eQ 3. Craft Time with Erika-Elizabeth videos. - An intro to the shows. http://youtu.be/KF2cwS2EPf0 4. Pine Cone Feeder Craft - A how to video that your child can do along with Erika-Elizabeth. Stay tuned for more! http://youtu.be/lF87wCcHcCU 5. Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 4: Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas Trailer http://youtu.be/X3jgTHKGi5g 6. Many more videos on our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FrecklesBunnySeries ContestsWe had two contests this month. One was for reaching 100 likes to our fan page. We gave away a free copy of Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 3: Freckles Lends a Paw. The second one was for our upcoming book, Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 4: Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas. Unfortunately, we just don't seem to be getting enough participants at this time so we have decided that this will be the last contest for awhile. At least until things pick up again. Thank you to all of those that have been! I plan for it to be as humorous and possibly as educational as the Freckles series is now. A New Chapter Book Series I have decided to start writing a chapter book series. The character is a popular one and since the older children love the series (but some don't want to be seen reading them at their age), I thought they might enjoy a series of their own. The series is about my unique cat Sherlock. You can learn more on the page I have set up for him on the Freckles website. It will be out sometime next year. Expect to see humor, a lot of Boots' family, cross-overs and more! Freckles the Bunny Series Book #'s 5 & 6 Planned I am afraid that with lack of time, I sometimes forget what I've written on previous posts (especially after two other blogs). I have two new books coming out next year. I am not officially set on the titles or the order yet, though I do know book 5 will be book 5. They are as follows: Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 5: Freckles and the Popular Persuasion - Popularity and peer pressure are discussed. Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 6: The Freckle Monster - Emotional and verbal bullying are discussed. My daughter will be helping write the 6th book as she has previously experienced this at her last school. School Visits I have had the pleasure of visiting St. Augustine School here in Saskatoon and I will be visiting St. Phillip School very soon! Freckles III, Stew II and I had a wonderful visit and hope that we are invited back again. Book Edits My husband and I spent many nights fixing up the third book as we found many things that needed fixing. We are happy to report that they are looking great and online! I also spent many hours fixing the quality of the books appearance for books one and two. They are also online now. All three books will be listed as second editions as I also edited some text and added a craft to every book that did not have one. This will be a continued feature for every book. We've extended the deadline for pre-ordering book # 4, to October 20, 2013. If you haven't ordered one and want to, please contact me right away. This is by far, the best book, more writing, more pictures, 2 crafts and an 8 x 10 size instead of our usual 8.5 x 8.5. You don't want to miss it! Newsletters, Secret Page for Children and New Products I have added a monthly newsletter for the Freckles site. I will also include a monthly sign in so that children can access a secret page with some downloads and online games that are only accessible this way. There are also some new products for sale. Book Purchasing Options We realize that purchasing through Paypal on our website can be a pain. We are now taking orders through the contact link as well and we will figure out the shipping for you, then send an invoice. In this way, we will be able to charge less while you still use Paypal. Other payment options are as follows:
* Interact E-Transfer (works well if you are with a major bank in Canada). I am also told that this is only possible if you have online banking access. * Send us a Money Order or Certified Check after we let you know the total with shipping. * Personal/business checks will only be accepted through schools and libraries. Sorry for any inconvenience. Updates
It seems I am behind in many things here as of late but I needed the time for my emotional and mental state to heal. The family is doing much better though still not in our home. We have been keeping busy with enrolling our daughter in a new school for the time being and I have added more photos on Deviant Art. I also spent some time writing a poem on the fire and the rabbits that we lost. You can find that on the "Beyond Freckles" page. Freckles the Bunny Series News I am now trying to catch up with things for the series. Anastasia and I are close to finishing the fourth book in the Freckles the Bunny Series. We should have the cover photo up soon and have a contest for a book copy. In the meantime, we are taking pre-orders from now until October 15th, with an offer of a free Freckles pencil or Character Sticker sheet with every book 4 sold. The title is Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 4: Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas. It contains 35 color illustrations. It will also include 2 Christmas crafts and a poem written by my daughter. My daughter will also be writing the sixth book with me. It will be about bullying. I've also added a bunch of free PDF downloads for the children, onto the Freckles website. Award I won another Readers' Favorite 5 Star award. It is for Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 2: Freckles and the Less Fortunate. You can find the review on the review page. That is all of the news for today but be sure to check again as I will try to post more this month and we are slowly getting back into the book reviews for other authors. We had a fire in our home July, 20th. It was small but with plenty of smoke damage. We are still recuperating, not from the loss of our stuff which is trivial, but from the loss of some rabbits I was unable to save. We are currently staying with family and unsure as to when we will be back in our home. Freckles stuff is a bit slowed down at the moment but we are working to catch up as we deal with things here. The reviews have been on hold as we try to mend our hearts. These pets were not just pets, item, but family. I know not everyone understands that concept and I've been judged because of that by some. We need time right now to understand and accept their loss as we try to prepare for what is to come as well. Thank you for your understanding. In my grief, I've written a poem for their loss. I've shared it on this website and the videos that were once listed on the site are still there, just under the photos listing. Thank you to those that are understanding and patient! We hope to get back to things as soon as we can. Reviews are on hold for the time being. I'm sorry about this but we are dealing with both taking care of the house and the loss of our "family" members. T-Shirt Contest If we can get 115 likes on the series' Facebook fan page by the end of this month, we will give away one of the adult t-shirts we have. Keep in mind that these will also be for sale and the only ones made or to be made with the old Freckles. T-shirt prices will be posted as soon as we can, along with the sizes. Book Contest Same contest as the last book. Look at the book cover, like the Series' Facebook fan page, read the rules and guess what the bakery is named under the picture. Contest deadline, July 12, 2013. Interview and Review on "Stitch Says" website http://stitchsays.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/author-interview-vickianne-caswell-amreading-authors/ http://stitchsays.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/book-review-freckles-is-scared-of-school-amreading/ E-Book Purchases I have the books in e-book format and for sale online. You can find them all at the link below as it will list all the books under my name. I will work on book 3 once it is out and the companion book as well, though that is going to take me a little bit of time to format. I appreciate any reviews you are willing to add after you purchase a copy. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/VickianneCaswell Book Flyer I've also updated the book flyer. Feel free to share. The flyer is just below and you can find it here on the Freckles site: http://freckles-the-bunny-series.weebly.com/website-downloads-to-share.html First off, you can keep an eye on the books on Amazon. They have been getting reviewed. I've also listed them on this website. Find it here: http://vickianne-caswell.weebly.com/my-books-reviews.html The video preview for "Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 3: Freckles Lends a Paw" is up on Youtube or our Freckles the Bunny Series website. I am still reviewing other children's books and posting them on this website and the Youtube channel. I am a little slower right now as I am trying to get things ready for my illustrator, for book 4, as well as preparing book 3. Many of you may not realize, but Freckles' world is a bit complex. Many of the stories and future stories, repeat locations. To be able to re- write about these locations later on as well as try to keep things the same (for the children and for us), I've created models of the homes, on The Sims 3. (It also keeps us from having a character roll through a wall instead of an open door) This tends to make the work a lot easier too. The Christmas book, book 4 is probably the longest and more detailed story by far. We are using many locations compared to our usual 2 or 3 and including family members (moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, brothers, sisters to name just a few). In book 3, we are adding in siblings to the story, except for Stew's (I imagine they are still settling in to their new home). I do believe that this book is going to knock the socks off of the last 3 (the one now included). This is the reason why it is taking so much work. We've also been posted in a blog, with a review. Thank you Sandra for doing this for us! You can find the link below. http://sandrabennettauthor.com/news/ Many people probably wonder why I say we all of the time, when it is usually me doing everything. It's simple. I consider this whole operation a team. I could not do these books without the help of my husband or Anastasia Drogaitseva. My husband edits the books and aside from Anastasia drawing the characters to life (and I love working with her by the way), she has also been a great help in teaching me how to use some of the Aspects of Photoshop. As well, my ideas come from my daughters experiences and my bunnies. My daughter is great at listening to the stories and critiquing them as well as wanting to be a part of these books. She is actually the one who drew the carrot for book 1's back cover and the pickle for book 2's back cover. I am looking forward to seeing what she draws for the other books. As well, we are about to give her a bigger role, but I don't want to say too much yet. She is very pleased! So now you see why it's a "we" and not a "me." There would be no "me" without that group of "we" and I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have each of them in my life. It's been a little while since I've posted on here. I've been busy finishing off book 4 (Freckles and the True Meaning of Christmas) of the Freckles the Bunny Series and started writing book 5. As well, I've been out to my daughter's school to do a book reading, have been busy putting together book 3 (Freckles Lends a Paw), taking a few wildlife pictures here and there, taking care of things at home, removing ticks and what not. All in all, between home life and the books, I've been busy and I'm afraid that I tend to put the Freckles website first, over my own.
I'm adding the cover for book 3 as it is complete for your viewing. As well, I've just created an author's page on Amazon. It will take up to 7 days to finish, so please be patient. I believe this is the link: amazon.com/author/vickianne-caswell I've also signed up for LinkedIn and found some useful resources there. I've also started a video blog which you can find on the series' Youtube Channel. There will be talk about the books that are out, sneak peaks at new stories, the animals, what I am currently working on and anything else I can share with you. I currently have four videos up and plan to do one or two more tonight if time permits. I will be adding a video page to this website as well, so that you can find the videos easily. http://www.youtube.com/user/FrecklesBunnySeries I received a webcam for Mother's Day (along with some beautifully drawn stuff from my daughter). I am not only able to do video blogs for you, but I should be able to do interviews and book readings (for schools and libraries) for you live, through Skype. I will be sending out some promotional stuff for the children at the schools and will be accepting requests from here on. I realize that the school year is almost done, but feel free to contact me now to arrange for the following year. Well, I guess this is why I should blog more often. Take care! Vickianne Monday was an extremely pleasant day for me. I received notice that I had won the Readers' Favorite 5 Star review award for my first book, "Freckles the Bunny Series, Book # 1: Freckles is Scared of School." You can imagine how thrilled I was as not everyone gets a five star review. I received a digital seal as well for my book. Even though it may be small, I am quite proud of this accomplishment. It is a step in the direction I want to go. Self-publishing is not an easy route to take. Unfortunately, most publishers are not interested in taking on a series. Hopefully with each book published and hopefully more reviews and awards in, I can spark the interest of a publishing company.
I believe this is my second blog. A lot has happened since the last one.
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