Tag Archives: Kimba

Author Interview with Arkansas Authors Web Site

As a part of my blog tour and my wonderful relationship with the Arkansas Authors web site, a two-part interview with me is currently being featured at their site. Click here to read the whole thing. You can also find “Why Kimba Saved The World” in their Book Spotlight section and available for sale. They are even featuring my book on the home page today!

This site is a fantastic resource for authors from Arkansas, but also for readers who just want to find great books. The site will be offering a holiday buying guide as well. Stop by, read the interview, and check out their other authors and books as well.

Here’s one of the interview questions, but be sure to go to www.arkansasauthors.com for the full interview.

What drove your decision to self-publish?

I did send the manuscript for “Kimba” out to a few publishing houses and agents over a couple of years. Sometimes you have to wait months, and they want it to be exclusive. It’s an arduous process. Many big publishing houses are closed, and agents are hesitant to take on an unknown writer. You never hear back from most of them. They want you to get your platform set and have a fan base first. It’s rather like needing to be in the union to get a job, but you can’t get a job unless you are in the union. The nature of self-publishing has changed so much in the last few years that I started to explore that. As I met some agents/publishers through conferences and got real feedback, they all liked the story but didn’t feel it was right for them. I just wanted to go forward and get the book out there. It is a ton of work to be your own publisher, but it gets the job done instead of just sitting on manuscripts and waiting for answers.

Next Blog Tour Book Review of “Why Kimba Saved The World”

Today’s blog tour stop is with the Heart of a Philanthropist web site for a book review and giveaway for “Why Kimba Saved The World.” Click here to visit her site and read the full review. Also take a moment to look through her information about the Village of Hope orphanage in the Philippines that is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in the region. I’m joining Kim in her letter writing campaign to offer support and prayers as they work to rebuild. Good work is going on around the world! Thanks, Kim, for taking time to review and share my book.

Cover 2 Cover Book Review of “Kimba” Today

Just a quick shout-out to blog tour host Cover 2 Cover today for her great book review of “Why Kimba Saved The World.” She is also running a free copy giveaway, so be sure to share her link with your friends so they can enter for a free copy. Thanks, Stephanie!! Click here for the full feature and review, but here’s my favorite part:

“As I was reading this book, I was laughing and thinking about my cat, and how he too is a found stray and how many of his first places and movements were similar to Kimba and Hiro’s. I think Cooper (my cat) may too be communicating with and accomplishing his missions with the strange things he does and things he gets into…”

Yes, Stephanie, watch out if Cooper pays too much attention to YOUR computer. You never know!

There’s another blog tour stop tomorrow, so stay tuned!

New “Kid” Book Review of “Kimba”

I love it when a child has a chance to do a book review for “Why Kimba Saved The World.” That who it is written for! Adults sometimes come at reviews with a lot of literary baggage, but kids just want to enjoy the story. I’m so glad that Rhiannon did! I shipped a copy of “Kimba” all the way to Australia for her (much to the dismay of our small town post office who had no idea how to accomplish this task), and it was worth it. Click here for the link to her review, but here’s my favorite part:

“This is one of my favourite books and anyone who likes cats will think that this one is a winner!”

Thanks Kidz Review Krew!

Book Review from Arkansasbookreviewer.com

Thrilled to share a new connection and a new book review from Arkansas Book Reviewer’s web site. Click here to read to full review at her site, but here’s just a sample:

“Meg Dendler’s debut novel, Why Kimba Saved the World, her first in the Cats in the Mirror series, is a charming fantasy book appropriate for middle grade youth, cat lovers, or any animal lover in general. A chapter book, perfect for school rooms and personal libraries, comes complete with added photos to personalize the experience.”

She gave “Why Kimba Saved The World” 5 stars at amazon.com and at goodreads.com. Yay!

I have actually been diligently working on some technical revisions to this book for a few grammar changes. Earth should be capitalized the way we are using it (thank you www.askjanis.com for catching that in the next book). Some changes are just for continuity between “Kimba” and “Vacation Hiro.” There will also be a link at the end of the new version of the “Kimba” ebook to click and buy the next book right away and more live links for my web site, twitter, and Facebook pages. I’m learning how it all works as I go and am grateful for the freedom self-publishing offers to make whatever changes I want and keep my books up-to-date!

We are still waiting for the cover art for “Vacation Hiro.” Lesley already had some other projects lined up (of course she did, she’s fantastic), and we are waiting just as patiently as we possibly can. Once that’s all set, the book will be available quickly. Very excited!

Recent Features to Share

Things are bubbling along with the production of “Vacation Hiro,” and we are almost ready for the final round of book proofing! Still on target for early-November. In the meantime, I thought I’d share two recent features on my writing.

The first is through author Kim Scott and her facebook page. She shared book buy links for “Why Kimba Saved The World” and bio information from this website and really talked me up for a day, so head on over to her Facebook page and share the love. You can also follow her on twitter @KimScottAuthor. I do! She has a great indie book giveaway going on through Facebook right now. Everyone loves free books!

The second feature was through the website 1 Book Lover’s Opinion. Michelle shared some basic info about “Kimba” with her followers too.

There should be lots of reviews for “Kimba” coming up, and then we can move into reviews and features for “Vacation Hiro!” I hope to be able to share the cover art with you in a couple of weeks. So exciting!

Great New Review for “Kimba”

I’m so grateful for this great new review of “Why Kimba Saved The World” at the blog Found Between The Covers. Click on the link to read it on her site. Blogs like this are nothing short of a lifeline for indie authors. It costs thousands of dollars to get a review from any major publications and even most indie web sites (don’t kid yourself that they review those books just because they like them), so those blogs who are willing to read and share the self-published books they love mean everything. I’d rather have you read the whole review at her link and give Sherrey the internet traffic, but here’s part of what she had to say:

“Well thought out plot and characterizations, and the personifications of Kimba, Hilo, Slinky, and the other animals were delightfully creative. And there’s a lesson to be learned in the end. Kimba has a surprise waiting for all of you soon-to-be readers.”

Thank you, Sherrey, for sharing the love!!

“Vacation Hiro” goes into production on Tuesday, so there’s even more alien cat fun on the horizon.

“Vacation Hiro” Soon!

Summer has been crazy around here! Not only do we run a tourist-focused guest house that has been hopping all season, but I’ve been enjoying going to local fairs and being in touch with book review bloggers all over the world. I’ve lost track of how many reviews and interviews are coming up between September and October, but there will be a lot of them — and I’ll do blog posts to share them all as they come up.

I’m beyond excited that the edited manuscript of “Vacation Hiro,” Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series, is on the way back to me, and my fantastic book guide is ready to start putting it all together right after Labor Day! There are a lot of variables on how long it will take to get through the production and ebook process, but we are all hoping to have copies ready to go out by early November. So excited! I must admit that I’m mostly aflutter about seeing what cover art Lesley will come up with this time. She blew me away with the cover for “Why Kimba Saved The World,” and it should be even easier this time since we already have a format to follow.

I’m still trying to get some actual writing done. There are entries ready for a few of the contests offered by the Ozark Creative Writer’s Conference I’m attending in October, and there’s two packets I need to turn in for manuscript evaluations through the SCBWI Missouri conference in November. Then, of course, there’s always “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main” (YA paranormal-lite) for me to spend some time with and hopefully publish in the spring. And “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” (Book 3 of the Cats in the Mirror Series) is beginning to take form in my head and require my attention as well. Being a writer is definitely a full-time job!

For those of you who tweet, you can also find me now @megwelchdendler. Kimba has been tweeting for quite a while @kimbababy. There is also a new Facebook page just for “Why Kimba Saved The World” that you can follow for funny photos and stories. Our crazy cats provide those on a daily basis.

My editor’s cat guiding her through the process. www.askjanis.com.

Guest Blog Post at Candysraves.com

I’m trilled to have a guest blog up at Candysraves.com today! It is an interview with me about being a writer and “Why Kimba Saved The World.” You can see the interview at Candysraves.com, or it is copied below as well. Thank you, Candy, for helping to get the word out about “Kimba!”

Guest Post by Meg Welch Dendler, Author of Why Kimba Saved the World

Tell us about yourself…

I spent 15 years working with young children, 10 of those as a classroom teacher. I have been writing since I was a little girl and have always wanted to be a full-time author. For many years I did freelance work while I was teaching and raising my daughters. Now writing has my full attention.

What genera do you write and why?

My current series is for middle grade readers, roughly ages 8-12. That is an age group that I really loved working with as a teacher, and this story was perfect for sharing with them. But I will freely admit that I have lots of adults who love the book and read it right along with their kids.

Tell us about your book…

“Why Kimba Saved The World” is about a pampered house cat who wishes she could be wilder and have more freedom, until she suddenly learns that she is really part of an alien race and has a whole huge destiny and big adventures expected of her. It’s exciting at first, but she has some life-changing choices to make about what is important and where her loyalties lie.

What was your inspiration for this book?

The main character is based on one of the cats in our house, Kimba. I had grown up with the idea that cats might just be aliens — my mom read lots of science fiction — so it wasn’t much of a stretch to wonder if that was true of Kimba too. Later books in the series will focus on different characters and how each deals with their own challenges in coming to terms with their alien heritage.

Do you have a favorite character and why that one?

Kimba is definitely my favorite because she is based on the real cat that is mine out of the clowder of cats we have at home. When we found Kimba and her sister Hiro at only a day or so old, we already had four cats. That’s a lot of cats! Kimba is just wild and crazy and totally nutty and an independent cat. She’s my favorite. As I write this, she is sleeping on a chair next to me in a pile of stuffed toys. She’s a real character. The cat on the cover of the book is an actual photo of her.

Did you find anything particularly difficult in writing this book?

When I first started writing it, I hoped to have something for an even younger age group — very early readers. But that is limiting for the vocabulary you can use, the length of the story, and technical things like that. As it progressed, I just knew I had to kick it up a notch and hope that those younger kids who are still developing their reading skills will have someone who is willing to read it aloud to them.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Right now, I am very focused on writing the second book in the series, “Vacation Hiro.” I really want to have that published next spring so I can take both books with me to the fairs and festival in 2014. That is one of the great things about self-publishing. Once you have the text ready to go, getting it into print format can be done in a couple of months.

Right after that, I will be publishing an unrelated book called “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main” that is for a bit older reader and follows the spiritual journey of a young woman who is having trouble moving on from her life here on earth to what lies ahead. That manuscript is in the hands of some much trusted friends and colleagues right now for their feedback and critique.

Do you have any interesting writing quirks you want to tell us about?

I will freely admit to being quirky. I think most writers are! Writing a first draft is hard for me. Just getting it out of my head and onto the paper for some reason is very frustrating. So I reward myself with breaks. If I write a chapter or a certain amount of words, then I can take a break for 10 minutes and play Zoo World on Facebook, or something like that. My office is also filled with my collection of Disney mini-plush characters. I have about 75 of them right now. They watch me write, and that makes me very happy. Kimba has pulled 10 of them down onto her special chair today for her nap. I don’t mind sharing them with her.

Do you have any advice for writers out there?

Write, and then write some more. If you have a book in your head, go for it! But also be sure to get input from people around you that you respect. Join a critique group. Go to conferences. Sometimes I get the best idea on how to tweak a story or “bling” it up some just by listening to others talk about their work. And pay an editor if you are self-publishing. Pay someone to help you make the best cover you can. If it doesn’t look professional in the end, it won’t matter how good your story is. Make it great!

Where can we find you?

My website and my blog are at www.megdendler.com. I am on Twitter @kimbababy and on Facebook at Meg Dendler, Author (there’s a link at my website). You can sign up to follow my blog and get my newsletter. I’m also active on Goodreads and have a YouTube channel with fun videos. I’m in production right now on a series of videos where I read “Why Kimba Saved The World” aloud one chapter at a time and will share fun photos and “behind the scenes” stories. That should be up soon.

And of course we have to know, where can we find your book?

“Why Kimba Saved The World” is available in paperback and ebook through Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. You can also get signed paperback copies directly from me through PayPal right at my web site. I’m happy to personalize it and add a matching bookmark just for fun.

About the Author:
Meg Welch Dendler is a former teacher with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. While over a decade as a freelance writer gave her the chance to interview individuals as diverse as the Archbishop of Cape Town and Sylvester Stallone, in 2010 Meg set her focus on publishing several books for young readers that she had been working on for years. Meg is thrilled to be sharing her first book, “Why Kimba Saved The World,” with young readers worldwide. In this first book of the Cats in the Mirror series, feisty house cat Kimba learns that she is really part of an alien race and has to pick sides between her loyal human family and her feline destiny. The second book, “Vacation Hiro,” is already in the works. Meg and her family (including four cats and her dog Max) live at 1,400 feet in the Ozark mountains on what they call Serenity Mountain, just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Visit her at www.megdendler.com for more information about upcoming books and events.

May Artrageous Fair Fun

Summer time in Eureka Springs brings a great chance for independent artists and authors like me to share our wares with the tourists who come through town. Basin Park, in the heart of downtown, is always an interesting place to wander through on a weekend. You never know what you will find. But this is especially true during May’s Art Festival events. I had a great weekend being part of the Artrageous Festival on Saturday, May 25th, and loved meeting other artists in town, as well as both kids and adults who shared stories about their favorite crazy cats. Copies of “Why Kimba Saved The World” went home with excited children and adults, and many names were added to my mailing list. The weather was perfect. Street musicians entertained us all. Our resident 11 year-old performing sensation juggled knives just inches from our tent. All-in-all, it was a great Saturday in the park. Knowing that my book earned some new fans is the icing on the cake.

Scott used some chalk from the Kid Space booth next door to create some inviting “Kimba” footprints.

This is actually Friday night in the park, but it looked the same for Saturday.

Overhead view of a quieter moment near the end of the day at Basin Park in Downtown Eureka Springs.

The view coming up the main staircase, past The Sphere, and toward my booth in Basin Park.

Three of the artists with booths nearby turned out to be cat lovers who just had to take a copy of “Kimba” home with them.