Last weekend was the official launch of my latest book Surprise! and I would have to say, it was quite the success. Music, a magician, cupcakes & lots of kids! what could be better than that? Here are a few pics:
Magician Max being silly
The best part - a reading! This is the ultimate success to me, to see kids enjoying the book.
Look at those faces! Just enthralled with the wonder, the mystery, or possibly just confusion...
and I've never posted an image of me on this blog, but I thought I would keep the mystery a little bit anyway with this faraway pic... But if you don't really care about the unwritten law of not showing your face on a blog and are just DYING to see what I look like, I think there will soon be some videos posted on Youtube - will update :)And well I guess this is a post of 'firsts' because it is also my first GIVEAWAY! It is VERY exciting. This book is really about giving, and not the kind of giving to simply receive kudos, but the kind where no one will ever know who the giver was. Those random-acts-of-kindness that are always such a joy, but so rare. So, it is my pleasure to give one of these books to YOU. If you would like to be in the drawing win a copy of Surprise!, here's what you need to do:
Please leave a comment on this post with your name, and also what was the best surprise you have ever given, or received. (and if you have never been a perpetrator of a random act of kindness, then maybe now's the time!)
A winner will be drawn on Sunday November 9th (Australian time). Good luck! :-) And if you don't win this giveaway, stay tuned, because there will be some other opportunities as well....
** update ** Deadline extended to Sunday November 16th!
Posts
29 comments:
Oh my friend this is so exciting!! Look at those kids looking at your lovely book!! Ahhh.... awesome :o)
And look at you!! Hahaha you do look tiny because you are soooo far away. Hee, heee you are so funny girl. (Oh, love your skirt btw)
Congratulations Kim, it really looks like it was a fun day and what a treat to be able to share your books with the kids like that!! :o)
Oh, congratulations, Kim! What a fantastic day that must have been for you!
As far as the giveaway, that's a lovely and gracious idea!
A big surprise...well, a few years back, my brother and I gave my parents a suprise anniversary gift: a week in Rome. They had been there once, and longed to go back, so the two of us got together and did it all quietly, got hotels, airfare, a special tour to the Vatican, etc. and then gave it all to them just a few weeks before their anniversary (so they'd have time to get ready!) It really was wonderful to see how happy and surprised they were.
Best of luck with your new book!
:-)
Wow what a great day!!!!!
I surprised my neighbor by cooking bringing her dinner after her surgery last week!
Carla
Hey - nice job, Kim! That looks awesome, what a fun book launch party. I wish mine would have clowns..
Congratulations! How exciting for you. Those kids are loving your book. What a fun day.
My sister and I parked on the seafront and a couple told us we didn’t have to buy a parking permit as it was off-season. Hours later, as we came back, cars had parking fines. I assumed we’d have one but someone had put a permit under my windscreen wiper. Perhaps the couple who realised you did have to pay? Who knows? A tiny amount of money but a lovely surprise. I see tiny (and large) acts of kindness all around me – it brightens my day. I’ve followed your book’s progress from afar. I’ll buy a copy when I’m in Australia next year. You’re very kind to share so much of yourself and your work online. Joanna
Congratulations on a fantastic book and a wonderful book launch. I must apologise for not saying Hi - I was too busy meeting Karen after having chatted online for a while.
Anyway, this is my way to say HI and to let you know the illustrations in Surprise are very beautiful and tell the wonderful story. Both my children love the book and it is read and re-read often here, then more pictures are drawn to include in the book.
Enjoy your successes, you deserve them.
Thanks Ali!
Thanks Monica - wow, that is one amazing surprise!
That sounds like a lovely surprise cpullum.
Cheers Ben! I'm sure you could have clowns if you REALLY wanted to! ;)
THanks forrest.
That's a lovely gesture joanna! I think you were lucky!
Thanks for saying hi superrelish - sorry I didn't get to talk to you on the day but so happy that you and your kids are enjoying the book! :)
Hi!
Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog! Of course you can link to me, i'll link you up too, so great to hear from other Aussie illustrators.
I have looked at your blog before too - I like your work a lot! I haven't had time to do IF for a while, I'll get back to it soon
Congratulations on your book! It looks great - I will look out for it in the shops!
Kim,
The book's a marvel, it really is (I'm a friend of Karen's. She sent me this way to see the pics.) You did a wonderful job.
The best surprise...Stopping in at a restaurant a few years ago for some lunch, and who was my waiter? The older brother of my best friend when I was a child, who had died when we were only eight. We sat and reminisced during the meal about our favorite memories of Tracy, and it was truly one of the greatest surprises I have ever received.
Congratulations on your new book and what a nice way to launch it with lots of kids looking at the illustrations and listening to the words. Looks like it was fun!
Wishing much more success on your new book!
Now my story...I've been surprised many times in my life, but one surprise that really comes to mind was on my wedding day. I was getting married and my family lived far away in another country, so it was difficult for them to come. My father had passed away so I wanted both my uncles to walk me down the isle, but only one could come. I was disappointed. I had no idea that my entire family had orchestrated a very detailed plan to bring my second uncle over. I was so SURPRISED when I came downstairs and saw him! I was so thrilled!
Wow!!! This is so cool!! Congrats, Kim!
Well, I already met you in real life so I know what you look like :-) (I feel kinda strange revealing my face on my blog as well!)
Thanks Tamsin! I will link you soon :)
Thanks for commenting d. paul - that is quite an amazing surprise. serendipity i suppose?!
That's a beautiful surprise Edrian! I love it when a group of people conspire to make a surprise for someone. What a way to make your wedding day even more special!
Thanks chickengirl!
Oh My Gosh! You got a book now too!! That's so cool!
I just love it when I see all these blogger folks who I've visited getting their books in print. What a great feeling. I've been working on mine too and posted them at Doodlestreet. I've decided to use the little Snuff blog to post my illustration friday stuff now that I am able to spend more time on it. I'm glad you found me over there!
I need a better zoom tool so I can see you! Hhahaha...that's sweet, you are shy on your blog. I sooo get that!
Let's see...a surprise story...gosh, there are so many great ones. I'll do one where I gave a surprise to someone else:
Back when I was in my 20's (I don't even want to say how long ago that was! haha), I was friends with a girl named Deb. We both lived in Portland and she was about to take a vacation for a couple weeks. Before she left, she asked me if I would go to this art school and pick up some flyers for her from "The flyer guy". She told me that when she got back, she was going to pass out all the flyers to local businesses, and in return, the school would give her a free class! The following week, I went down and picked up the flyers and decided it would be great fun for Deb if I went ahead and passed out all those flyers for her and when she got home, the job would be done and she would have a free class. (I have to add in here that I offered to pass them out BEFORE seeing the stack of flyers...it was HUGE!!!!! hahahha...I was at it for three days!) But Deb came back and was so pleased when "the flyer guy" told her the flyers were all done and she had her class!
Congrats on the book release! I hope it does well for you and the author.
My best surprise I've given would have to be when I proposed to my wife. I had a ring custom made, and popped the question in front of everyone at the line dance club we frequented while we were dating.
The best gift I have been given would have to be the planned early birth of my daughter. We didn't know it beforehand, but when she arrived, the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around her neck. Had we waited longer, who knows what might have happened. Another surprise was that she was a girl (we didn't want to know until she was born!)
Anyway, best of luck with the new book!
It looks like a great day! Congratulations!!! And looks to me like "somebody" had to make a speeeeech.. into a microphooooone.. ;)
The best surprise I think I ever had was when I was about 13, my sister was 8, and my Granny (who was out from Ireland on a holiday) was trying to teach us both how to knit. We started with a scarf... My sister got the hang of it quite quickly and mine ended up a bunch of holes and knots. Too frustrated I abandoned it, envious that my sister could do it and I couldn't, and also that she got to continue spending time with Granny. The following week I couldn't find my "scarf" anywhere. I accused my sister of doing something to it (which I feel awful about now), as she had actually adopted it, unwound all the mistakes and finished the entire thing for me, and gave it to me for Christmas!!! I wept, and it's still the best surprise I ever got!
wow, good one doodlestreet! Your friend must have been overjoyed not to have to do all that work! (and you probably needed a nice red and a good lie-down!)
Thanks Tom! I'm glad you found this post, being one of the loyal followers of the process of creating this book :) Wonderful surprises, both of yours. I think my husband's proposal to me would have to be one of my great surprises too...
Hi Flossy! Yes I did have to speak into a microphone. A bit scary for a little reclusive illustrator like me, but it was all okay in the end ;) What a great surprise for your sister to give you - and all at the tender age of 8! she must be a very thoughtful person.
This is so cool! What a rewarding experience for you, congratulations Kim! It looks like you had a great day.
My biggest surprise was this past Dec. My sister turned 50. Her friends started planning in October for a surprise birthday party for her. They live in Alaska. They flew her down to Seattle for the weekend. My two other sisters and I flew out to meet them in Seattle. She had no idea we would be there! We kept it a secret for over two months, emailing and phone calls. It was great! I will never forget the look on her face when she stepped off of the plane and the airport announced her arrival over the loudspeaker. We had a huge banner. There was tears, laughter and cheering. It was great! I can't believe we pulled it off without her having a clue!
Hi Kim,
So happy about your book coming out, what a launch!! You guys know how to do things right! The best surprise for me was to join my parents in Italy. We had always talked about taking this trip together but when they booked conditions weren't right for me to go. As departure time approached I felt I was going to miss a unique opportunity so I went on a whim and surprised them at their hotel in Rome. We had a fantastic time. Zero regrets.
Thanks Loni and Isabelle - yes when surprises involve getting on a plane I think those are pretty special ones! (Just like how I surprised my mum in the USA for her birthday last month, so much fun...)
Congratulations! It looks like fun was had by all!
One of the best surprises I have had was when I was spending my first Christmas in Montreal. I had moved with my husband from Scotland and was feeling a bit homesick for my friends and family. We were at my sister-in-law's house for dinner and my father in-law called me in to another room - I thought he needed help with something.
I opened the door to find my best friend from Scotland. She was the best Christmas gift that I got that year :)
What a wonderful surprise Sweet Pea - and what a great Christmas that must have been!
where are you kim? Hmm I should use a magnifying glass now..
Surprise, hmmm my dorm friends secretly put about 5/ 6 alarm clock in my room on my birthday, and it is set on 4 o'clock, and you could imagine what happened in the morning, dizzy head, happy feeling, blurry vision trying to find my glasses..., sure it is a surprise!:)
I am glad you are extending your deadline. Congratulations on your book. I am terrible at surprising people because I can't keep a secret. I did surprise my husband once when he got a new job that he really wanted. he isn't an easy person to keep a secret from so i was very happy that it worked out.
Ohhhh,I missed it!!! :(
But,I found your blog indeed,so I'm happy,...I don't have a big surprise yet,but I'm waiting for it!
I send my illustrations to bologna book fair and every day I check my emails to see a news from them that I am accepted,I really want it! :)
Have a really nice time
Parisa
Congrats Lil' Kim! The fan fare for a job well done must have been satisfying! A big hurrah from the Pacific North West!
How very exciting and wonderful for you!!!
The best surprise I ever had was when I was told that my dog Rat was not going to make it and my doctor advised me to let go but I decided to let him stay in the hospital overnight and the next morning I went to see him thinking it would be for the last time and he walked into the room and buried nis little face into me and said Hi Mom! It was a miracle because they saved his life using Viagra (he had a heart condition) and he lived for 6 more months and it meant everything to me :)
Hi ... this is my first visit and I love your book already - just watching the children enjoying it. I have 10 grandchildren, so I consider myself pretty experienced in making sure you have the right books on hand.
Enjoy your success ... Iris G.
Thanks Eugenia, Carli, Parisa, Stacia, Valgalart & Iris! Some lovely (and not so lovely) surprises there!
Post a Comment