The Book Birthday Part of the Writing Life

Well what do you know? It's here, it's here, it's finally here! The loooong awaited book birthday for Mama's Home (and Baby Too!)—the sweet little story that took over 20 years to become a book—is here! 

by Dawn Babb Prochovnic and Adèle Dafflon, Published by Familius

As I've noted in previous posts, I'll be celebrating in-person at a variety of locations throughout the Portland metro area, beginning with a book launch celebration at 11am TODAY (Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026) at Green Bean Books! Come join in for a baby shower themed book event! 

I'll also be stopping by various blogs and podcasts for guest posts and interviews over the next several weeks. Vivian Kirkfield is hosting me for a Book Birthday post TODAY, where I share the long and winding road on the path to publication for this book, and that the first iteration of this story was a poem inspired by watching my young son play at our local children's museum, (PLUS a childhood pic!).

Interestingly, the version of the story (and there were many!) that was eventually picked up for publication, is the book I would have loved to have in hand when our family was preparing for the arrival of said son. 

I was so excited that our family was growing, but I was also worried about how the transition would be experienced by our daughter. Most (if not all) of the "sibling" books that I found at the time (and still now) focused on the sibling relationship and/or the challenges and changes that would happen with the arrival of a new sibling. 

I wished I'd had a book that focused on the mother/child bond. A book that would have conveyed to my daughter (and my own mama heart) that while our family was about to grow and change, the most important things, such as my love for her, would hold true. 

I also wanted a book that focused less on the myriad of interruptions and disruptions to family life that were to be expected with the arrival of a new baby, and more on the familiarity and consistency of joyful family life that would continue to be shared into the future. Simple, precious things like going to the park, blowing bubbles, eating special breakfasts together on the weekends, snuggling close to share stories--all would continue to be an important part of our lives.   

I went into labor very early in the morning on the day our son was born. I called my mom, who was the appointed person to come and stay with our daughter so my husband and I could head to the hospital to meet our new baby. 

While I waited for my mom to arrive, I remember sitting on the edge of our daughter's bed while she was still sleeping, speaking to her softly. I remember saying, "There's a big storm coming your way, little one," then offering reassurances that my love for her was deep and true. That my heart was big enough for more. That my lap and my arms were big enough for more. And that we would learn how to be a family of four, together. 

And we did. 

Prochovnic Family Circa 2006

Prochovnic Family Circa 2024

There wasn't a book I could share with her at the time that tenderly conveyed those words in my heart. Now there is. 

A book that both of my kids unknowingly contributed to in countless ways. A book about the bond between parent and child, set to the backdrop of joyful family life and childhood play. The kind of family life my husband and I aimed to create in our own home. 

One of my favorite reviews for Mama's Home (and Baby Too!) comes from Dr. Sheila Modir via her DrSheilasBookshelf on Instagram.  She says in part:

"There are so many great books focused on the anticipation and arrival of a new sibling, but I've never come across a book that is focused on the MAMA coming home from the hospital after delivering a baby!

There's the countdown of the days and the boredom of the chores and the nervousness of what's to come and the joy of the reunion. So many BIG feelings this book prepares children for!"

Welcome to the world, sweet, new baby book of mine. I'm so glad you're here.  

The Seasonal Tie-Ins and Promotional Pairings Part of the Writing Life

It's hard to believe, but today marks the one year anniversary, or "book birthday" for Lucy's Blooms. 

On this date last year I shared a blog post entitled, "The Book Launch Part of the Writing Life," where I talked about the activities leading up to a book launch. Today's post is about creating opportunities for extending the book buzz beyond the initial launch through seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings. 

The marketing copy on my publisher's website describes Lucy's Blooms as "a multigenerational story about a young girl who learns from her grandmother about the enduring nature of love, the strength in rejecting labels, and the wisdom of standing with those who are different." In the story, "the town's annual flower contest is coming soon, and a young girl puts her heart into growing a lively bunch of flowers she finds in a meadow. As her grandmother guides her in nurturing a garden, the girl learns that winning ins't the true reward—it's the special love found in caring for something or someone." 

These are the words that help booksellers and librarians make book buying and collection development decisions—but these words don't necessarily help a book get hand-sold, placed face out on a retail display, or incorporated into a library storytime. This is where seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings can come in. 

I maintain a running list of potential promotional connections for each of my books. Some seasonal tie-ins (such as the spring equinox in March and Earth Day in April are easy to come up with. I broaden the list by browsing web-based resources such as the "There is a Day for That" calendar, the "Today is" calendar  and this list of national days, along with taking note of observances recognized by literacy organizations such as Every Child a Reader. 

There are quite a few different connections that can be drawn for most of my books, and although it's not reasonable for me to set a goal to amplify each tie-in every year, the running list of seasonal tie-ins and promotional pairings does help me maximize my promotional opportunities. 

Here is an example of my current running list for Lucy's Blooms and some examples of the promotions I developed to go along with some of the observances:

The Great Kindness Challenge (January)

Random Acts of Kindness Day (February)

International SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Day (March)

Plant a Flower Day (March)

World Planting Day (March and October)

International Women's Day (March)

The Spring Equinox (March)

National Weed Appreciation Day (March)

Dandelion Day (April 5)

Good Deeds Day (April)

Earth Day (April)

May Day (May 1)

Mother's Day (May)

World Bee Day (May)

Grandparents Day (September)

International Day of the Girl (October)

World Kindness Day (November)

I also maintain a strong supply of book-related resources and enrichment materials here, including a robust collection of Pinterest boards with categories such as:

Grandparent’s Day

Earth Day and World Bee Day 

Kindness and Good Deeds

Fun Facts About Dandelions

Weeds: Metaphor for Resilience

Garden Tours, Virtual Visits, and Other Experiential Opportunities

Gardening with Kids

Gardening Tips and Info

Picture Book Pairings for Lucy’s Blooms

 

The past year has flown by faster than the seeds of a dandelion. Thank you to everyone who continues to read, share, and help Lucy's Blooms flourish and grow. 

The "Virtual Book Launch" Part of the Writing Life

Today marks the book birthday for my 20th picture book! 

I'm so grateful to everyone who has had a hand in the making of this book, from my family members who inspire, encourage and support my writing life, to my critique group and fellow SCBWI members who helped me shape and polish the manuscript, to the wonderful team at West Margin Press that acquired the manuscript, paired me with a fantastic illustrator, and provided TLC and immense talent throughout the editorial, art direction, and book design process. I'm also grateful to my friends and colleagues who have helped shine a light on this book, and now to the parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers who will help get this book into the hands of young readers. Thank you all. 

Lucy's Blooms was written and revised over a period of several years. West Margin Press acquired the manuscript long before the pandemic hit, and the editorial process wrapped up pre-pandemic as well. Alice Brereton's beautiful illustrations were created and shared with me during (what I now realize were) the early months of the pandemic. Seeing the thumbnails, sketches, and final art emerge during months and months of quarantine (and amidst pandemic-related disappointments) helped me focus on the future and focus on the positive. 

During this time, another positive experience was working with the incredibly talented musician, Maiah Wynne, to create Lucy's Song. I wrote the lyrics in collaboration with Maiah, then she composed the music and performed and recorded the song. After the book illustrations and song were completed, I created the animated video for Lucy's Blooms:

Lucy's Blooms created happy places and spaces for me to retreat into, and these creative tasks kept me grounded and focused during an otherwise uncertain time. 

I've launched many books into the world, and I've long created and curated enrichment materials for young readers, teachers, and librarians who utilize my website as a resource, but this is my first virtual book launch experience. The situation we find ourselves in caused me to push myself outside of my comfort zone and learn and do new things, such as: 

Conducting a Goodreads giveaway (with 1810 entrants and 1651 readers adding Lucy's Blooms to their "Want to Read" shelf.) I've not done a giveaway on this platform before, so I don't know how it compares with others' experiences, but I feel pretty good about it!

Collaborating with author friends and colleagues to create enrichment materials for my books. For example, my friend and colleague, Lora Heller, and her team at Baby Fingers LLC created video clips of sign language interpretation of Lucy's Song. You can find those on the Lucy's Blooms playlist on my YouTube channel.  (Lora and her team offer a wide range of classes for Deaf and hearing students of all ages--and their classes are now available on virtual platforms from anywhere in the world. I encourage you to check them out!) Likewise, my friend and colleague, Kathy MacMillan recorded a wonderful flannelboard rhyme activity that teaches several ASL signs and is a great pairing for a story time featuring Lucy's Blooms. (Kathy has heaps of other story time resources on her StoriesByHand website!)

Writing press releases (that resulted in at least a couple of local newspaper articles.) 

Sending postcards to friends, family, and "book people" in my network.

Recording a virtual story time hosted by Green Bean Books--you can view it at 11 AM, Tuesday, April 20 (Pacific Time), or afterwards via Green Bean Books' YouTube channel.

Preparing Grab-n-Go activity bags for Portland-area readers who participate in the virtual book launch event at Green Bean Books.

Creating GIFs, videos, and images for social media posts, such as:

Much of what I learned in this process required patience, perserverence and love, similar to what Lucy and her Gram cultivated in Lucy's Blooms, and much of what I've learned will be incorporated into future book launches. Thank you for walking with me through this journey. May your seeds of love take root and grow, Lucy's Blooms! Happy Birthday to you!