The Results Are In - 350 People Showed Up!

On July 7th I blogged about the plans for my book launch party for The Belly Button Fairy. I received a number of emails from authors who thought I was going a bit too far and spending a bit too much. Today I'll tell you how it all turned out.

On Saturday, the day of the event, we(my husband, my illustrator and I) arrived at Barnes & Noble an hour before the event was to begin. We were delighted to see that little fairies had already begun to arrive. We had enlisted a few friends and some of our grandchildren as helpers. Together we covered the tables with sparkly tablecloths, assembled the give-aways, and set up the cakes, our book posters, the microphone and the illustrator's easel. In the meantime, the face painter and craft person were busy getting ready.

I had distributed approximately 1200 invitations, and a little more than 350 people showed up. If my math is correct, that's about 25%. Not bad. I'm not sure of the exact final book count, however there were well over 200 of my books sold that day. My illustrator (Mark Wayne Adams) and I signed books for 2-1/2 hours. I was so happy to have a sore hand! The kids were all happy. Their faces were painted, their tummies were filled with cake, and they were happily clasping the new wands they had made and the new books they had purchased. The parents were happy because the kids were happy (and busy).

Was it worth the time and dollars that it took to create this event? You be the judge.

Remember the movie line - "If you build it they will come?" My advice: "If you do the work they will come."

Fairy wishes,
Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Where is the "Real" World of Fairies?

Where is the “real” land of fairies?

Have you ever wondered where fairies really live? Before delving into this mystery, you must close your eyes, cross your fingers, turn around in a circle three times, clap your hands twice and then say “I believe.”

First, let’s clear up some misunderstandings about the spelling of “fairy.” There are actually a number of acceptable spellings: fairy, faerie, faery, fayre. The world of fairies is often referred to as the world of fey , denoting a world of the mysterious and supernatural. However you spell it, the myths and mysteries about fairies are many. However only one thing remains clear – that nothing is clear! Mysteries are everyday happenings in the fairy world. Anything is possible.

Fairy legends are centuries old and have been passed down from generation to generation, varying according to the country of origin. There are scores of fairy tales from the British Isles, Australia, Iceland and the Scandinavian countries. Some early legends tell us that fairies are the souls of unbaptized children. Some say that fairies are the children of Eve, while others say that they are fallen angels, lying somewhere between humans and angels. Still others think that fairies are simply the spirits of nature, children of Mother Nature. In some stories fairies are good, while in others they are clearly evil. In most they are somewhere in the middle – a bit mischievous, even downright tricky. Because of this, most believers agree that it is not wise to try to fool a fairy. Always be polite and treat all fairies with respect.

Through the ages, fairies have been blamed for all kinds of problems – from missing treasures to missing socks. I personally believe that the Tooth Fairy is alive and well and that there IS a fairy that tangles your hair while you sleep (The Knot Fairy) and there IS a real Sock Fairy. And when it comes to belly buttons, the fairies are in on that, too.

Where do fairies live? It is believed that some fairies live in gardens, some on mountaintops, and others in rivers and lakes. Many legends tell of the fairies that inhabit our homes. There are even a few that are known to live in Disney World. So, is Fairlyland just over the rainbow or is it inside the earth, just below our feet? Is it real or does it exist simply in our minds and hearts?

Only the fairies know for sure and they’re not telling!

What do you think of e-books?

OK. I’ll admit that I am a creature from another generation. I grew up in an era when most neighborhoods had a library and reading was a popular pastime. My love of books led me down the path to writing children’s books. Now there’s a new creation – ebooks. Not worn, well- used books, lovingly handled by numerous children, edges worn, corners folded. Now books can be downloaded (Or is it uploaded? I get them confused.) onto computers and other fancy electronic gadgets. So, I’m faced with a big decision - to ebook or not to ebook. Will children read picture books on a computer screen? Will parents sit in front of a computer and read fairy books to their children? Is the cost the biggest issue here? Is it a matter of ease and immediate availability? Will kids be happy curling up with a good computer? Can you fall asleep with a nice laptop on your chest? Please help me here. Any advice would be appreciated.

Do You File or Pile?

As I look around my office, daydreaming about anything I can think of that will distract me from work, I am gazing upon the piles of unfinished business and other “stuff” on my desk. I see the manuscript for my next book (The Belly Button Fairy), a cute little fairy doll sitting atop my computer, the latest copy of “O” Magazine and a piece of jewelry that needs to be repaired. Now I look across the room, peering jealously at my husband’s desk. He has a lot of boring things such as bills and invoices, along with several relatively neat stacks of reading materials. He actually knows what is in each stack. He even keeps a huge archaic file cabinet where he files away everything he can think of, everything in labeled folders. I, on the other hand, use the 21st century method of storing everything in my computer, all under cute little titles that I can never find when I need them. This is the difference between rightbrained people (me) and leftbrained people (my husband). Who is correct? Depends on who you ask.

Letting Boys Believe in Fairies

It makes me sad that many parents discourage their little boys from believing in fairies. They let the boys believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, dragons and monsters, but when it comes to fairies, that’s where many draw the line. I visit many schools and libraries, reading The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy. I sell almost as many books to boys as girls, however I’ve met many parents who will not let their sons buy the books. I’ve had fathers say to me, “These are girls’ books, right?” Actually the Sock Fairy is a little boy fairy, proving, without a doubt, that fairies themselves can be boys or girls. When I ask the children to make up their own stories about fairies that they have created, the boys become as excited as the girls. Yes, there is a difference between the fairies that the boys create versus the ones created by the girls. The boys have come up with ideas such as the Lunchbox Fairy, the Thunder Fairy and the Broken Toy Fairy, while the girls have created the Earring Fairy, the T-Shirt Fairy and the Rainbow Fairy. So, what’s the harm in letting boys believe? They love to believe in dragons and elves. Please let them believe in fairies, too. Before long they will be older and their imaginations will be (unfortunately) stifled by the world around them. Let them hold onto their imaginations as long as they can. And, Dad, if it makes you feel any better, some fairies do very unpleasant things.