It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since the birth of MRS. NOAH! And to celebrate (because I firmly believe in a birthday month:), we’re going to be looking back at all the amazing things my debut children’s picture book has accomplished this year. It’s been a rewarding journey, and I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to celebrate it with each of you!
But looking back isn’t the only thing we’re going to do this month! Celebrations call for gifts, and I’m going to be giving away a few in honor of our dear MRS. N!
Now, you may be asking, “What gift would MRS. NOAH like from each of you for her birthday?” Well, I’ll tell you! Here are three ways you can help the story of MRS. NOAH to keep sailing strong:
Buy a copy of MRS. NOAH for your little friends and loved ones! The holiday season is quickly approaching, so it’s the perfect time to buy a copy of the book and put it away for gift-giving! There are loads of purchasing options, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. Simply Google, “MRS. NOAH Patti Richards,” and click on the best for you!
Write reviews! If you’ve read MRS. NOAH and loved it, can you take a few minutes this month and write a review? It only takes a few minutes to make a huge impact on how MRS. NOAH appears in search engines. And to make it even easier, write one review and copy and paste it into multiple places, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads!
Ask your local librarian or your child’s school librarian to purchase a copy of MRS. NOAH for your library shelves! The more you ask, the more likely they are to add MRS. NOAH to their collection.
It’s hard to believe it’s the middle of March and almost St. Patrick’s Day! I hope all of you are well, happy and looking forward to the beauty of spring that’s just around the corner. As a gardener, spring is one of my favorite seasons. It’s so much fun to visit my garden each day and see how my plants are getting on. The first thing to stretch its leaves towards the sun are the Lenten Roses. These brave plants don’t mind the leftover (or new) snow or the cold nights. They are determined to bloom by Easter, no matter what comes or what goes. These plants inspire me; their courage to be their loveliest in the face of challenges more delicate flowers can’t tolerate is a perfect object lesson for the writing life. Success in writing can often be summed up in just showing up and doing the work each day, in spite of rejection after rejection. My Lenten roses know what it takes to get the job done. Sometimes it seems the more difficult the spring, the more beautiful they are. The same thing is true about watching a story come to life and make its way into the world. The more difficult the struggle, the more satisfying the result.
I’ve shared with you the story behind the story of MRS. NOAH, and that’s why when wonderful things happen to this book the reward is all the sweeter. I found out a couple of weeks ago that MRS. NOAH is a Selah Award finalist in the picture book category! I was overjoyed to hear her name (and mine) read out during the finalists’ announcements. We’ll find out sometime in June if she wins an additional award, but to be a finalist is such an honor. I am beyond grateful!
In other news, I’ve opened back up to picture book critiques! If you or a writer friend is looking for a thorough and thoughtful evaluation of a manuscript for a reasonable price, please check out the PGWRites Critiques tab above for more information.
Thanks again for being on this journey with me! Here’s an Irish Blessing to take with you today:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
May the rain fall soft upon your fields and until me meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Blessings,
Patti
Sensibility-Recognition of the work it takes can often be a long time coming. But what a gift when it does!
Sense- Take time to research contests as part of your writing week. Contests are a great way to boost your confidence and get the word out about your work.
What a month it’s been for our MRS. NOAH! Her story set sail on October 28th, and since then she’s been the #1 new release in children’s Noah’s Ark books on Amazon for nearly the entire month. She’s also been in the top 100 in a couple of other categories on Amazon and is continuing a strong showing in overall book sales on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You have been such a part of her success, and I just wanted to say a heartfelt, “Thank you!”
I know I’ve said it before, but if I could stand in front of you right now, faithful friend, I would give you a big hug and say, “Thank You,” for coming alongside me. Your support and words of encouragement are gifts I will treasure always. If you’ve ordered and received a copy of MRS. NOAH, I am so honored. If you love the book and have a minute over the next few days, stop by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Good Reads and leave a review. Reviews help books show up in search engines, and we want MRS. NOAH to stay strong! And remember, MRS. NOAH is a perfect book for gift-giving this holiday season and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop and wherever books are sold.
As you gather ’round your Thanksgiving tables with family and friends this year, know that this friend is giving thanks for YOU!
Blessings,
Patti Richards
Sensibility- The writer’s journey is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, but as it says in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Sense- No matter how the writer’s journey looks for you, the point is that you ARE a writer. Be thankful for the gift and use it every day!
It’s finally here! MRS. NOAH releases today, October 27, 2021, and is now available for presale wherever books are sold! The long wait is over, as MRS. NOAH sails into a book retailer near you. Here are a few links where you can order:
Can it really be almost the end of January? As I look at today’s date and wonder where the month has gone, I can’t help but think that with each day that passes I’m one day closer to the release of my first fiction picture book, MRS. NOAH. I’m so excited! MRS. NOAH is the story of Noah’s Ark from Noah’s wife’s perspective. It’s a rocking, rolling, rhyming romp about all the work Mrs. Noah does to get the ark ready to receive all of the furry and feathery guests for their 40-day cruise. Mrs. Noah knows there’s more to creating a happy, floating home than just hammers, nails and gopher wood, but can she help Noah understand and lend a helping hand?
The cruise ship awaits!
You’re probably wondering where the idea from this story came from. Well, it just so happened that I was packing and preparing my family of 5 for a big trip…we were celebrating my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary with a cruise for 11…grandparents, kids, cousins…you get the idea. Anyway, it was our first cruise experience and I was running around like a crazy woman trying to plan for the two-day drive to Florida (we thought that would be fun?). So along with planning for the actual cruise, I had to book hotel rooms and make sure everyone had enough clean clothes and toiletries for the two days before and the two days after. Not to mention buying up enough pet supplies and snacks for our house sitter, stopping the mail, making sure everyone had a swimsuit and shoes that fit, plus paying all the bills and getting the house cleaned before we could leave. My husband, who is always very helpful, had to work extra hours getting clients taken care of so we could have this week away, so he was at the office until late every night leading up to the trip and wasn’t able to help me. And just 6 weeks earlier, my son had undergone a big surgery to remove a benign tumor from his skull base, so there were follow up appointments to get the all-clear just a few days before we left. Needless to say, I was a wreck.
Getting ready to board!
Somewhere in all of the craziness, a thought ran through my mind… “If I’m this stressed out trying to get everything done that needs doing before we leave for our cruise, how in the world did Mrs. Noah get everything ready for an ark full of animals and the rest of her family? Lord have mercy!!” That thought made me laugh out loud. Here I was fretting and worrying and being frustrated because I had so much to do and no help, that I couldn’t enjoy the process. God started using Mrs. Noah even then to help me see that He is always in the details, even if I can’t see it at the time. Of course, the idea of Mrs. Noah settled in and stayed and by the time I got home from that wonderful trip, I already had the first lines of the story playing over and over in my head. God whispers seem to work like that.
Fast forward almost 9 years and many, many versions later, and MRS. NOAH is one step closer to being born. The target is fall of 2021, so I’m looking forward with expectation and joy. I’m so glad you’re here to join me on my journey! Watch this page for an official “countdown to MRS. NOAH” in the coming weeks!
Sensibility- The journey is almost always more important than the destination. Take time to stop and enjoy whatever road you’re currently on.
Sense-Story ideas can come from the strangest places. Part of being a writer is being aware so you can see, hear and recognize a story seed when it appears.
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since the birth of MRS. NOAH! And to celebrate (because I firmly believe in a birthday month:), we’re going to be looking back at all the amazing things my debut children’s picture book has accomplished this year. It’s been a rewarding journey, and I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to celebrate it with each of you!
