Follow Trockle…

Team Trockle is busy cooking up fun stuff and can’t keep two Trockle blogs up to date! Follow Trockle here:

http://trockle.blogspot.com

A Really Scary Monster Named CPSIA

It is big. You can’t see it. But it has long arms to reach waaaaaay under kids’ beds and closets. It has teeth. Already, it has taken a big bite out of something that scares the grown-ups: the economy. I think I see the economy shivering under the bed with me. It looks even more scared than I am. It’s a moody thing, too. Sometimes it’s really happy, then other times it throws a tantrum like a two-year old. Anyway, I feel really sorry for it right now. It’s sniveling and whimpering something about this CPSIA monster. Mom says that the CPSIA will make children’s books and toys and even Stephen’s smelly old gym sock illegal – that it will turn them into something called “hazardous substances” whether they are or not. Okay, maybe Stephen’s smelly gym sock is a “hazardous material,” but I LIKE it. I sleep in it every night and it hasn’t made me sick. I’m always orange and bumpy, in case you were wondering. And I was born with just one eye. It’s not from anything in Stephen’s stinky sock.

This CPSIA makes me want to crawl into the sock and suck my thumb. Mom says it’s supposed to protect kids like Stephen and my author’s son, William, from icky, poisonous things like lead and something called phthalates. It took me two hours of writing that over and over and over and over before I could spell it right! Phthalates are something found in some kinds of plastic. The bendy kind, I think. I don’t know. It’s a big word, and a funny word like pneumonia. I can say pneumonia. I can say nuclear, too. Stephen says I’m undressing. Oh, wait – digressing.

Okay, so this big scary CPSIA monster is going to mean that maybe kids under thirteen can’t have cool, handmade toys. Or one-of-a-kind kids’ clothes. Because only really big, faceless corporations can afford the testing and certification that the CPSIA monster demands. I thought that all the scary lead stuff came from those giant companies in the first place? The CPSIA even applies to books! Can you believe that? Books are made of paper and cardboard, glue, ink, and other stuff that doesn’t have poisonous stuff in it. I know, ’cause I ate some of Stephen’s books before Mom said, “How would you like it if someone ate Trockle?” and I stopped. The CPSIA means that maybe kids can’t go to libraries anymore. Or that they can go to libraries, but that the libraries would have to get rid of all their kids’ books. I don’t get it. Why would kids want to go to libraries that didn’t have kids’ books? To read grown-up books? Can I be in a grown-up book? Because I want kids to read about me. I like to look out from the pages and see kids smile when they read about Stephen. He’s a lot like them. He was afraid of me at first, and I was sixty gazillion times scareder of him. But our moms tucked us in and told us all the things we have in common. Anyway, we’re not scared of each other anymore, but we’re both scared of this CPSIA thing and so is the thing cowering under the bed here with me. Mom says it’ll be okay, this economy thing, and she’s tucked it into Stephen’s other sweaty gym sock for a good night’s sleep, but it looks really bad right now.

Fabu – Boo! I Mean, Yay! Did I Scare You?

Miss Kimberly just gave me the “Your Blog is Fabulous” Award!! Whoa. An award? For me? For my blog? Thank you, Miss Kimberly! She says that the rules of the award are simple: Write about 5 addictions you have and then pass the award on to the 5 blogs that you think are Fabulous…

Um…what’s an “addiction”? My author explained it to me as something you’ve got to have or you get twitchy. Something you maybe think about all the time. Something you can’t live without. I said “My mom and dad and Stephen and her” but she said no, that was love. Not an “addiction.”

“Choco-Tacos?” I asked.

“In your case, yes,” she told me.

“And broccoli!”

“Definitely.”

So here is my list, Miss Kimberly:

1. Choco-Tacos!
2. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts!
3. Readers, especially kids, who like Trockle.
4. Googling my name. Googling anything, actually.
5. Driving Stephen’s remote-controlled monster truck when I should be sleeping.

Five blogs I think are fabulous:

1. Miss Kimberly’s blog.
2. Miss Vivian’s blog.
3. Miss Holly’s blog (that’s my author, and she told me not to give her the award, but I’m gonna do it anyway – she’s my author, but she’s not the boss of me, and my mom said I could nominate her). If she won’t take it, I like this one, too: Little Monsters Photography. I want to be a photographer when I grow up. Maybe. I don’t think those look like little monsters, though.
4. Miss Elysabeth’s blog.
5. Miss Janet’s blog.

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope Santa gives me a ride on his sleigh!

Trockle’s Christmas Wish

When Holly asked Trockle what he wanted Santa Claus to bring him for Christmas, Trockle answered, “I want Santa to bring me on a trip around the world in his sleigh. Do you think he’ll share his cookies? Is Rudolph leading the team this year? Does Rudolph have kids of his own? He must be almost as old as you are, by now–”

Holly raised an eyebrow at her little monster. “Gee, thanks, Trockle.”

“Not that that’s OLD.”

“Do you like Christmas surprises? What do you want to find in your stocking on Christmas morning?”

“I want to BE someone’s Christmas surprise!” cried Trockle. “I want to wake up in a good little child’s stocking, all toasty and warm from the fire.”

Won’t you help make Trockle’s wish come true? Get your very own Trockle here, at http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/Holly_Jahangiri.html

What’s Up Next for Trockle??

Be sure to bookmark Trockle’s blog to find out what mischief the little monster is getting into next! With the holidays right around the corner, I’m sure he and Stephen will have lots of adventures, and you won’t want to miss out!

Trockle’s Trick-or-Treat Tour: What an Adventure!

The little monster, Trockle, had so much fun last month, going trick-or-treating with his buddy, Stephen. He’s learned just how important it is not to go trick-or-treating alone! I hope you were able to join Trockle and Stephen in their quest to eat up all the Brussels sprouts, candy corn, Choco-Tacos, and broccoli on the Internet!

The following bloggers left the front porch light on and the welcome mat out for Trockle, and they had plenty of his favorite treats on hand – Choco-Tacos and Brussels sprouts, for sure! Drop by – you may still find some leftover goodies, and you can read about all the fun we had!

October 5:
Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors – We didn’t realize it at the time, but the Internet Gremlins were green with jealousy over all the attention Trockle was getting. Or maybe they just stole too many of his Brussels sprouts, and that turned them green. Their mischief included soaping everybody’s Windows, particularly if they saw Internet Explorer through them. They left graffiti all over poor Joyce’s blog, but she gamely fended them off and Trockle had fun visiting with her again. Trockle had so much fun, in fact…
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

October 6:
Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors – …that he went back again, and again! Realizing it was his first time EVER to go trick-or-treating, Joyce indulged Trockle’s passion for Brussels sprouts and Choco-Tacos and Trockle went home with a big silly grin on his face and a strange gurgling in his tummy, which was a bit rounder than ever. Trockle’s Mom even answered questions in the comments!
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

October 7:
Janet @ Janet’s Book Nook – Those Internet Gremlins didn’t mess with Janet (possibly, because it was her birthday!). Yes, Ms. Janet of Janet’s Book Nook was kind enough to let Trockle come trick-or-treating at her blog on her own birthday! Be sure to read her review of the book while you wish her a happy belated birthday!
http://www.sheneedstoknow.com/booknook

October 8:
Kimberly @ All About Kimberly – the Internet Gremlins were back in full force, and they brought friends! I saw Trockle go up to Kimberly’s blog and knock; I heard him call out “Trick or Treat!” Then a thick, alphabet-soupy fog rolled in, and Trockle disappeared! I couldn’t find Kimberly or her daughter, Cameron, either! They’d been abducted by the Gremlins! Noooooo! They put out the call to Stephen (who, under the circumstances, won’t get detention for skipping study hall) to help them fight off the wicked Gremlins and they made it safely home. Always go trick-or-treating with a buddy – never alone! Watch for those Gremlins – even little monsters have to be extra careful! Go read the lovely Cameron’s interview of Trockle’s Mom, Gurgelda. Gurgelda is still in shock that this young reader wanted to interview her instead of her little one, and secretly she’s just pleased as punch to share Trockle’s spotlight for a minute.
http://www.allaboutkimberly.com

October 9:
Jen (Pantheistic Mom) @ My Terrene Reality – Internet Gremlins don’t mess with Auntie Jen, either! (Maybe because she’s a clever woman and left plenty of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Choco-Tacos, and candy corn out for everyone – in fact, I think there’s even some left for YOU!) Jen is one of Stephen’s aunties (and of course, an adopted auntie to Trockle). She has been one of my best friends for over a decade, and we have yet to meet face-to-face! Don’t miss Jen’s insightful review of the children’s book, Trockle.
http://terrenereality.blogspot.com

October 10:
Elysabeth Eldering challenged everyone’s creativity today! Be sure to drop by and get in on the fun at http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/- try your hand at creating a monster!

October 11:
Ron Berry, aka “Unwriter,” interviewed Trockle’s author, Holly Jahangiri, and also had a few questions for Trockle, himself at http://unwriter1.wordpress.com/

October 12:
Lynne Thompson @ La Vida Es Un Sueno knows that when it comes to children’s books, the best judges are…kids! Her kids, Katherine and Brendan, reviewed Trockle at http://suenogrande.blogspot.com/

Knock, Knock! Trick-or-Treat!

I got to having so much fun on other people’s blogs last month, I forgot to post on my own!

These are the blogs I’ll be visiting this week, since they promised to leave the porch light on:

Today, October 6 :

Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

(NOTE: Tripod is experiencing “technical difficulties” and, in turn, making it difficult or impossible for visitors running Internet Explorer to access this blog, or any other hosted by Tripod. Try viewing the site with Firefox, if you can – Firefox was working fine, yesterday. If you still have problems, please leave a comment here and let me know!)

October 7:
Janet @ Janet’s Book Nook
http://www.sheneedstoknow.com/booknook

October 8:
Kimberly @ All About Kimberly
http://www.allaboutkimberly.com

October 9:
Jen (Pantheistic Mom) @ My Terrene Reality
http://terrenereality.blogspot.com

October 10:
Elysabeth Eldering @ the Junior Geography Detective Squad
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/

October 11:
Ron Berry @ The Surreal Writer
http://unwriter1.wordpress.com/

October 12:
Lynne Thompson @ La Vida Es Un Sueno
http://suenogrande.blogspot.com/

October 13:
Wrap-up by Holly Jahangiri and Jordan M. Vinyard
http://blog.jahangiri.us

There Will Be Prizes!

Join us and enter to win one of two very special prizes:

Grand Prize: A customized Halloween short story featuring your child (or grandchild, niece, nephew, or friend) with Trockle – written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Jordan Vinyard.

Second Prize: A $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com.

To enter, complete the following steps:

(1) Purchase a copy of Trockle directly from 4RV Publishing (http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/Store) between 12:00 AM October 5 and 11:59 PM October 13, and

(2) Send an email to president@4rvpublishingllc.com with your answer to the question posted at http://jahangiri.us/trockle-promo.html.

You may enter as often as you like, but all completed entries must be received before midnight on October 13!

Winners will be announced at http://blog.jahangiri.us and at http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com.

The winners will be chosen randomly from all correctly completed entries (see “To enter” above) and winners will be notified by email. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Grand Prize winner will need to work directly with the author and illustrator to create a memorable gift for that special child. To include the child’s likeness in the illustration, you will need to provide a digital photo upon notification that you have won. Every effort will be made to deliver the prize prior to Halloween, but circumstances beyond our control may prevent that and we do not guarantee that it will arrive by October 31.

If You Missed a Stop…

October 5:
Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

Ms. Joyce interviewed my MOM!

On Tour with Trockle

The Official Launch

Trockle was officially launched in April at the North Texas Book Festival in Denton, Texas.

Front: Jacque Graham (Editor), Vivian Gilbert Zabel (Author and President of 4RV Publishing, LLC), Trockle (the book!), Jordan M. Vinyard (Artist/Illustrator).

Back: Holly Jahangiri (Author), William Jahangiri (Inspiration & Quite a Character!)

Artist/Illustrator Jordan M. Vinyard and Author Holly Jahangiri’s son, William, autographing books.

Steven McKenzie, Ventriloquist & Cornelius talking with William Jahangiri

After-party with ice cream, cake, and cartoons at the Westin Stonebriar Resort.

OWFI Annual Conference

Team Trockle got together a couple of weeks later at the OWFI Conference in Oklahoma City:

SLCN.TV’s Meet an Author: Holly Jahangiri

I was interviewed by Adele Ward for SLCN.TV’s Meet an Author show in Second Life.

LA Times Book Festival

Amy & Shelley Stopp with Carolyn Howard-Johnson

holding a copy of Trockle at LA Times Book Festival

You know how it goes. You send your “baby” off, halfway across the continent, in the care of a complete stranger…wait, hang on, that would never happen in my world. The “baby” metaphor only stretches so far. Anyway, my good friend Debby Stopp, of the inimitable and amazing March Moms, went to the LA Times Book Festival to be sure my little monster, Trockle, was getting the love and care he deserved. Sure looks like he’s having a fantastic time in the Authors’ Coalition booth with Carolyn Howard-Johnson!

Vivian Gilbert Zabel’s Case of the Missing Coach, a wonderful book for middle grade readers – especially aimed at boys and reluctant readers – was a finalist at the North Texas Book Festival Book Awards and is featured right next to Trockle.

Display at LA Times Book Festival

Trockle and Case of the Missing Coach from 4RV Publishing, living it up at the LA Times Book Festival.

The incomparable Ava, daughter of my husband’s cousin Amin and his wife, Sepideh.

Ava, pretending that she’s not already reading at a high school level. Trockle would be a great bedtime story for her to read to her little sisters, though, wouldn’t it?

2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival August 30 – 31

4RV has several books that will be launched or re-launched at the Decatur (GA) Book Festival August 30 – 31. Among the books traveling with 4RV is Trockle. I think the little monster was jealous that William and I didn’t take him camping with us this summer, and he’s determined to travel to more places than we can! I really hope he gets over being irked with me – I’m counting on Trockle, or Elysabeth Eldering, or Vivian Zabel to get me Billy Collins’s autograph!

Blogging with Trockle!

Trockle is going on a virtual book tour, romping through other people’s blogs and generally making mischief. (Okay, he’ll probably behave – he’s really a nice little monster, but boys and monsters will be… boys and monsters.)

Here’s the tour schedule so far (click the links to visit the hosting bloggers):

Sept. 13 Vivian Zabel

Sept. 14 Elysabeth Eldering

Sept. 15 Aidana WillowRaven

Sept. 16 Steph Cardin

Sept. 17 Ian William

Sept. 18 Susan Thompson

Also Joyce Anthony
Sept. 19 Beverly Stowe McClure and Beverly’s 2nd Blog

Also Joyce Anthony

Sept. 20 Joyce Anthony

Sept. 21 Karen L. Syed

Also Joyce Anthony

Be sure to stop by all of these blogs and leave comments during the tour – THERE WILL BE PRIZES! (And no blood.)

To get your very own copy of Trockle, visit 4RV Publishing’s book store, or search for it on Amazon.com.

Coming Soon – Blog Tour with Trockle

I’ve taken part in blog tours in the past, but this is the first one I’ve tried to set up. Trockle, a delightful children’s book written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Jordan M. Vinyard, needs to be introduced to the public through visits on blogs around the country, maybe the world.

Hopefully, people with blogs will be interested in hosting a stop or two on the tour, September 13 – 21. Not everyone can have the opportunity to have a visit with a lovable little monster.

More information about Trockle can be found on Trockle’s Web Site.

Maybe if anyone is interested, he/she might contact me and let me know. I’ll provide a gift for one person who leaves a comment on each blog: a canvas bag (11 x 8.5″) with the image of the the Trockle front cover on one side and an image of the back cover on the other.

We’ll also promote each blog and blogger that’s part of the tour.

Some ideas for a stop on the tour include the following:

1. Interview Holly and/or Jordan.

2. Review the book and add comments from the author and illustrator.

3. Have the author and/or illustrator provide the blog post for that day(s).

4. Be creative.

Hmmm … I have the first date, so I need to be creative myself and have a good time and party with Trockle and company.

Vivian

North Texas Book Festival

Front: Jacque Graham (Editor), Vivian Gilbert Zabel (Author and President of 4RV Publishing, LLC), Trockle (the book!), Jordan M. Vinyard (Artist/Illustrator).
Back: Holly Jahangiri (Author), William Jahangiri (Inspiration & Quite a Character!)

 

Artist/Illustrator Jordan M. Vinyard and Author Holly Jahangiri’s son, William,  autographing books.

Steven McKenzie, Ventriloquist & Cornelius talking with William Jahangiri

After-party with ice cream, cake, and cartoons at the Westin Stonebriar Resort.