Book Trailer Premiere: 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald

Happy Tuesday! I am thrilled Tara Lazar dropped by to premiere the book trailer for 7 Ate 9 and to finish my sentences. We chatted about Ross MacDonald, The Bookworm, school libraries, and Mrs. Seamus. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in black. Many thanks, Tara! 

The book trailer for 7 Ate 9 was so much fun to put together. Ross filmed the character shots and I glued them in place. I had been working in the same room as my daughters and must have viewed the video a hundred times as I was editing it. Every time it finished, I let out a huge guffaw, I couldn’t help it, I found it hilarious. Well, my daughters got tired of hearing my loud laugh. They rolled their eyes and repeated “oh my gawd!” and “mother, please!”…but did I stop? Of course not!

Illustration Credit: Ross MacDonald 

Ross MacDonald’s illustrations are the coolest. (Did you know he makes movie and TV props in his studio, too?) For 7 ATE 9, he used his 19th century printing press to make the characters, painted watercolors, and brought all the pieces into Photoshop to put the scenes together. I love the film-noir detective-movie flair mixed with the bright colors of the characters. And their little hands and feet, how adorable are they?

Illustration Credit: Ross MacDonald

Private I would probably NOT want to be called “adorable.” Clever, pragmatic and perceptive is more his groove.

On May 16, 2017, 7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY launches into the world! I will be celebrating at my local bookstore, The Bookworm in Bernardsville, NJ. I’m going to bake a 9 cake so everyone can say “we ate 9.”

School libraries are the most amazing places filled with possibilities. Anywhere you want to go, there’s a book to take you there. The only limit is your imagination…well, that, and perhaps library due dates… (but you can always renew, HOORAY!)

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me where I was when I first dreamt of becoming a children’s book author. In my school library! Mrs. Seamus saw me looking at a book titled SHE WAS NICE TO MICE and told me it was written by a 12-year-old girl. I thought if she could do it, I could do it, too. It took me a few years, but now here I am on your blog! Dreams really do come true!

Look for 7 Ate 9 on May 16, 2017.