I’m thrilled to announce my brother, John Churchman, and his wife Jennifer’s, children’s book, Sweet Pea & Friends The SheepOver, has sold to Little Brown and Company in a multi-book deal for an astounding price. The write-up is in Publisher’s Weekly.
The catch your breath response to this heartwarming tale lies in ‘Farmer John’s’ enchanting illustrations, coupled with the country lifestyle he and his family embrace in rural Vermont. Sweet Pea, the star of the show with her irresistible smile, was an injured lamb this past winter when she gained the sympathetic attention of John’s Facebook friends. Folk of all ages eagerly followed her recovery, cheering her on, and relishing John’s wonderful photographs. Word spread and followers urged him to create a children’s book. That’s how this unbelievable journey began. Less than a year ago! Sweet Pea and friends have their own FB page too, which I invite you to savor.
Initially, John and co-author Jen, undertook a Kickstarter campaign to publish the book. After meeting their goal in the first 24 hours, they continually expanded it to greater heights. But that’s nothing in comparison to where they’ve launched now, among the stars.
In A Storybook Life, a film segment on the television show Stuck in Vermont, Farmer John, along with Sweet Pea and friends, were interviewed last February. This charming glimpse into their earthy world is well worth a peek.
(Sweet Pea with her ‘hay hair’ look and that contagious smile)
After John took Sweet Pea & Friends The SheepOver to a local bookstore, The Flying Pig, the co-owner, Elizabeth Bluemie, was so impressed she wrote up a fabulous piece for Publisher’s Weekly, When a Self-Published Book Is Done Right. Bluemie’s enthusiasm, coupled with John’s utterly unique illustrations, caught the eye of agents. Overnight, or sooner, they were knocking on his door. He and Jen chose Brenda Bowen/Greenburger Associates, who didn’t waste any time in bringing Sweet Pea to the attention of the mightiest publishers in NY and the world. John and Jen soon found themselves speaking with the heads of publishing houses, (unheard of!), each one trying to persuade them that their company was the best pick. Everybody wants Sweet Pea.
So yes, I’m super-psyched to share in this astonishing journey, and look forward to continuing on as readers young and old discover the wonder of Sweet Pea & Friends The SheepOver. Makes sense to me. As a child, my favorite toy was a cuddly lamb. Our grandmother took John and me to a toy store–a rare treat–and told us we might each choose a toy. Lambey was my choice and I had her for years, through multiple family moves, until she was so disreputable I reluctantly parted with her as a teenager. I’ve found her again in Sweet Pea,
Because the book is already so perfect, Sweet Pea & Friends The SheepOver is coming soon to a bookstore near you in time for Christmas.
***Follow John Churchman on Facebook.
**** For those of you who’ve wondered what the C in my email addy and other media sites stands for, it’s Churchman!
Fated lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it’s too late? Two hundred years ago Captain Cole Wentworth, the master of an elegant Virginian home, was murdered in his chamber where his portrait still hangs. Presently the estate is a family owned museum run by Will Wentworth, a man so uncannily identical to his ancestor that spirit-sensitive tour guide Julia Morrow has trouble recognizing Cole and Will as separate. As Julia begins to remember the events of Cole’s death, she must convince Will that history is repeating, and this time he has the starring role in the tragedy. The blade is about to fall.~
“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using the same deliciously eerie elements similar to that Gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” ~
Moreover, I’m intrigued by ghost stories, and Virginia has more tales than any other state. I find myself asking if the folk who’ve gone before us are truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way? Love conquers all, so I answer ‘yes.’ The theme behind ghostly, murder mystery romance Somewhere My Love, the first in my Somewhere in Time series.
One Writer's Way 