How Did the Hippopotamus Get There? Update

We’re making steady progress on my next children’s book, How Did the Hippopotamus Get There? We’ve finalized more than half the images, and we’re starting to put the book together while artwork gets updated for the end of the book.

I’ve included four work in progress colored and lettered pages below. We’ll make a few updates to the placement of the text and standardize some colors across pages in the next iteration.

For more frequent updates on the book’s progress, please follow Flat Mountain Publishing on Instagram.

The Toot Vortex – Now Available!

The Toot Vortex Front Cover

My next children’s book, The Toot Vortex, is now available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. I like to describe the silly story as a semi-autobiographical account of a very gassy family. Their toots come together into a massive tornado that wreaks havoc in their house.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy from Amazon, please use the links below. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads would are greatly appreciated.

Amazon Logo
Amazon Kindle Logo

Upcoming Author Talk

Those of you in Northern Arizona, please join me Sedona on November 18 and Cottonwood on November 19 as I attend the Verde Valley Author Expo.

On Friday, November 18, I’m giving an Author Talk, sponsored by the Sedona Library. The session is from 1 PM – 2 PM and I’ll spend that time talking about my writing process. If you can’t make it in person, you can download the presentation for free from my shop.

On Saturday, November 19, I’ll have a booth at the Verde Valley Author Expo in Cottonwood from 10 AM – 3 PM. I’ll have books, prints, and stickers for sale, plus coloring pages, crayons, and bookmarks available for free. Most exciting, I’ll preview my forthcoming book, The Toot Vortex.

See the pictures below for more information:

Tiny’s (Nickname Goose) Adoption Story

As I celebrate the release of my second book, The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 2: Sir Logan and the Witches, I wanted to share the story of how we adopted Tiny, the inspiration for the silly Goose in the series.

Back in 2009, my wife and I happened across an adoption run by All 4 the Animals Rescue event where I instantly fell in love with a little emaciated pit bull named Rooney. We didn’t intend to adopt a new dog that day, as we had recently lost our long-time family member Ramzie. But we did adopt Rooney (now called Tiny) that day, and we brought him home in November 2009 after he recovered from his worm infection. Thirteen years later, Tiny is still a silly and loving member of our family.

It was important for me to share the love all these characters have for each other. Each book in the series concludes with photos and descriptions of Chloe (nickname Princess) and Tiny (nickname Goose) and their loving relationship with our now eight-year-old daughter, Isabella, and five-year-old son, Logan.

I’ve included two photos that All 4 the Animals Rescue posted when we adopted Tiny, along with a photo of all the kids together today.

Both paperbacks and ebooks are available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 2 is Now Available

After months of hard work and many revisions, I’m thrilled to announce that The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 2: Sir Logan and the Witches is now available for purchase from Amazon in paperback. The Kindle edition is available for presale and will be released on July 29. The book will also be available for sale from other retailers on 7/29.

I was inspired to write these children’s books to share the special bond between our pups and kids. While the stories are set in a fictitious fantasy-themed world, their love and silliness are genuine. If you purchase a copy, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

I’m hard at work on more books in this series, along with another wacky series. Follow me to keep up with my ongoing writing journey.

Special thanks to Tony Pham for helping to bring these books to life.

Book 2 is Available

Sir Logan and the Witches Printed Proof

After pushing back the release of The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 2: Sir Logan and the Witches by two months, I finally received my printed proof this week. This step allows me and Tony to look at a printed copy of the book to look for any issues that may not be apparent when viewing the proof electronically. In this case, we need to adjust the page margins slightly to account for the larger book spine. Should be a quick update.

There is still one last page we’re working on in the book – the advertisement for another series that I’ll publish in parallel with The Adventures of Princess and Goose called The Toot Vortex. I’ll post more about that that series after Sir Logan and the Witches is available for sale. I don’t have Sir Logan and the Witches up for pre-sale yet, but I’ll announce the publication date soon. As a bonus, take a look at the preview page of The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 3: Valley of the Dinosaurs.

Kids Need to Read: Phoenix Fan Fusion

Phoenix Fan Fusion is always a fun event. I was able to stop by the Kids Need to Read booth this year and drop off a few copies of my book for them to give away.

Kids Need to Read helps children discover the joy of reading and the power of a literate mind by providing inspiring books and literacy programs to underfunded schools, libraries, and community agencies across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children.

Be sure to check them out on Facebook.

Kids Need to Read Phoenix Fan Fusion 2022

Book 1 (Chase Away the Dragons) Online Reviews

If you haven’t purchased a copy of The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 1: Chase Away the Dragons, the book is available from a number of retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart. If you have purchased a copy, please consider leaving an honest review on one of these sites or on Goodreads. Positive reviews are incredibly helpful as I continue to write and market these (and other) stories. Please also share this post with your friends! I’m starting to get a few reviews across these sites.

With all the distribution issues resolved, I’ve been able to focus more attention on The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 2: Sir Logan and Witches. This book will also include a preview of the first book in a new series I’ve been working on. We are just weeks away from publishing Sir Logan and the Witches! I’m very proud of how the book has turned out.

Chase Away the Dragons Review List

Book 1 (Chase Away the Dragons) is Finally Available on Amazon

After 3 months, dozens of emails, and an uncountable number of chat messages, The Adventures of Princess and Goose Book 1: Chase Away the Dragons is now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Princess-Goose-Book-Dragons/dp/B09QHF7856/

$9.99 shipped per copy with Amazon Prime!

If you purchase a copy, please consider leaving an honest review. Positive reviews are incredibly helpful as I continue to write and market these (and other) stories.

Book 1 Amazon Listing

“What are you doing? She’s clearly not pregnant.” “What? I don’t just walk around knowing people.”

Welcome to the second installment of my new blog series, “What are Those Things Called? Nipples. (Thoughts on Fatherhood, Inspired by Silly Conversations with My Kids).” Between entries on my efforts to write and market my children’s books, I’ll occasionally share random stories and musings about being a dad. If you enjoy this post, please like it and share it on Facebook.

It’s a lesson all men learn sooner or later—never ask a woman if she’s pregnant. I could be stuck in an elevator with a woman in labor and I still wouldn’t make a comment that implied she’s pregnant. Her water broke on the elevator floor? I have nothing to say. The baby is crowning? Nope, not a peep from me.

But when does one learn this lesson? Ideally this knowledge is passed down to a young boy before he embarrasses and insults a woman. Unfortunately, I failed in passing on this critical life lesson to my son.

My wife and I took our two kids to the doctor for their COVID shots. The visit involved a lot of waiting. Waiting in the lobby, followed by waiting in the exam room through various stages of questions and observation after the shot. The attentive nurse would pop in occasionally to check on us and ask if we had any questions.

Any parent will know that if you ask a 5-year-old in a new environment if they have any questions, the child will take advantage of the opportunity. The questions started innocent enough, asking her name, if she likes being a doctor (no, I didn’t feel the need to correct him), what does that random thing on the wall do. The nurse was great (it’s a pediatric doctor’s office, after all) and entertained his questions.

Just as our post-vaccination observation time was about end, the nurse popped in one last time. She asked if we had any other questions…and then it happened. “Do you have a baby in your tummy?” Logan asked, almost excitedly. I immediately got sick to my stomach. My wife slapped her head in embarrassment. We both loudly groaned and admonished him. The nurse quickly laughed it off and said, “That’s why I love working with kids. They always speak their minds.” She continued to laugh it off as she left the room and my wife and I showered her with apologies.

Once the door closed, I started in with the dad talk. “What are you doing? You never ask a woman if she’s pregnant. She’s clearly not pregnant.”

“What? I don’t just walk around knowing people,” our son replied, almost confused by our response to his comment. Our observation time was now up, and we got out of the office, staring at the ground and avoiding all possibility of making eye contact with the nurse.

Will a 5-year-old remember this lesson? Probably not.



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