Merry Christmas!

With heartfelt warm wishes, whatever festivities you are celebrating this time of year, I hope this year is an extra special one for you.

In spite of finishing a book this year, things have been still remarkably busy - as I can see from how long ago the last blog.

Time for a quick catch-up then, as I'm sure we're all too busy to spend too long reading anything at the moment!

So, what's new? Bradley and the Dinosaur is available for free all weekend (3rd to 5th December) so grab a complimentary copy if you don't have one yet!

Just click here to get a copy.

What else? There's a colouring-in/coloring-in competition for the above picture on Facebook - closing date the 10th, with 2 free signed copies of my books to the winner.

Click here for details.

Plus, I've teamed up with a whole heap of authors to put together a bunch of competitively priced kindles for the festive season.

You can check them out here.

I wonder what the collective noun is for a heap of authors? What do you think? A quill, a book? A desk? A pad of authors? Hmm..I've no idea!

Beyond that.. like everyone else, I've got to get a shuffle on with Christmas preps.. not a single Christmas card written yet.. and we now have a 5 year old to think about... who is asking Santa for a jet-pac ... hmmm... erm... All ideas for handling this one gratefully received!

So just a line left to say I do have a new story planned for next year.. and will tell you about it when I can...

Have a great one - thank you for all your support throughout the year.

Julian

Hello everyone, and a very good weekend to you all.

I notice that my last message was posted in July. Apologies it's been so long!
Can you believe that? Almost a whole Summer away. Did you have a good one? I remember some fantastic weather back in July, and then the kids broke up from school, and then after that, the sun was fighting a bit of a withdrawal!

It wasn't all writing this Summer
I've had a very busy Summer writing, but in between there was the odd trip to the beach, swimming and dinners on the patio! As you will have probably already heard if you're on the subscriber list, or follow on social media, the new book is finally done. The Button and the Bean launches officially on the 15th October 2021, but you can buy paperbacks ahead of this date through Amazon.

How did you do it?
All in all there are 14 spreads in the book, and besides painting each one in original watercolour, I made no less than three more passes through the whole book adding further refinements as I went. Keeping the organic feel of the watercolour, but adding in little extra touches as I went. So it's as if there were 64 pictures, really!

Once that was basically done, I still had to do the front cover, and what's called the endpapers (in a hardback, this is the page at the end of the book that is actually glued to the cover - but we still use the term endpapers, even in paperbacks).

It just seems to go on and on! All in all, the first sketch for this was last September, so it really did take a whole year of my spare time to complete.

Still - I'm very pleased with the result. Hopefully, it's the best one yet that I've done, and I'm really pleased with how the pictures and story turned out. I hope you will like it and the kids like it too.  I'd love to hear what you think!


JGS for FREE and other books to check out this September
I've teamed up with some other authors, again to bring you news of other books, this time they are not for free.. but still they might be the very thing you are looking for.

Check out the link here.

As it turns out - Jumbo Giant Sausages is on free download all this weekend! So you can get one of that collection of books for free at least!

Radio Show
In other good news.. I'm back to talk with Rob Pudner of Entertainingly different for his Artz4U show on the 11th October at 12:15 - so be sure to tune in then for some fun and frolics.. and some great music.

https://www.soundartradio.org.uk/

I wish you all a very happy and productive weekend!

If you are feeling generous - we'd love an upvote on Reedsy today - and please share any of our FB and IG posts if you can to help get word of the new book around.

Lastly if you have bought the new book, please remember to give us a review on Amazon or Goodreads..  as every review really helps. Especially when you're in a children's book category with David Walliams.. and his book has about 12,000 reviews !

Julian

Good news Singing Frog Fans!

You may have heard already that Bradley and the Dinosaur is currently available as a free ebook when you sign up for the Singing Frog Publishing newsletter. This will be for a limited time, most likely until the new book comes out at the end of Summer.

However, today I can tell you that Singing Frog Publishing has partnered with about 20 other authors to bring you some fantastic other FREE offers.

There are books for colouring in, and books on letter writing practice. In short, probably something in this giveaway for anyone with children, or knows someone with children!

All you have to do is visit the following link and choose a book and subscribe to that author. You can get as many free books as you like, for the whole of July.

That's why they're calling it July Goodies Galore. Visit the link below:

​https://books.bookfunnel.com/julygoodies/rfglmliwpg

Dino Wishes!

​Julian

Great news Dino fans!

Although Bradley and the Dinosaur is no longer available on Kindle Unlimited, now I can offer it FOR FREE through the following link:

BookHip.com/DTRFPLG

Now. Why would I offer a book, that took me 10 years to get from idea to print, for FREE?

The answer is that I am so excited about my newest book, that I'd like to collect as many new subscribers as possible, so you can hear about it EXACTLY the moment it launches later this Summer.

I suspect, once the new book is out, this offer will expire... so feel free..tell your friends, anyone can get this children's book, that has over 180 reviews on Amazon for FREE!

Of course.. if you really like it.. feel free to help it gain a wider audience by leaving a review on Amazon... or buy the paperback!

So what of the latest book then? I can't reveal the title just yet.. but I'm close to being able to do so. Currently on finishing spread #11 of 14, I have the cover and endpapers to do. Then I'll put it out for review with a few trusted sources.. then we'll see where we're at.

Bradley and the Dinosaur has earned over 180 reviews on Amazon and was entered into this years Reader's Favorite Awards competition, it has already won a five star award and the following review from them:

"Bradley rushes outside to the garden to collect flowers for his mother. He’s having fun collecting all kinds of flowers when a loud noise startles him. Then he sees it: a giant dinosaur. It’s not frightening, but rather friendly and it takes Bradley on an adventure to a land full of all kinds of dinosaurs: Dinoland. Bradley shares his flowers with the dinosaurs and enjoys playing with them, even having a ride on one of the dinosaurs, a pterasaur, getting a good view of Dinoland from above. He loses track of time, but fortunately, he realizes when it’s time to leave. The only thing is, he no longer has the flowers he promised to collect for his mother. That’s what imagination can do to a child, or anyone, really: it whiles away the time so quickly but with effective creativity.

Julian Hilton’s children’s picture book, Bradley and the Dinosaur, is a sweet story about having creative, imaginative fun. There’s nothing complex about this story, no hidden messages. With a simple plot that follows young Bradley’s adventures in Dinoland, it inspires young readers to enjoy their own imaginations and not to be afraid to allow dreams to fill their time with simple pleasures. Told mostly in rhyming verse and with beautiful, bold, colorful illustrations, this story will appeal to the very young reader and perhaps those just learning to read. Young dinosaur enthusiasts will take special pleasure in the many dinosaur names listed and illustrated in this charming story. Wouldn’t you love to be a child again and visit Dinoland? The invitation to adventure is one’s own imagination."

So enjoy!

Dino Wishes,

Julian

Good news Singing Frog Fans!

Starting today 28th May, Bradley and the Magic Carpet will be discounted on Amazon for 99p/99c in the UK and US.

This will increase incrementally over the weekend, back to its regular price (£2.99, $3.49). So get it while it's cheap!

What fun can you have for 99p these days??

Happy Holidays!

​Julian

Greetings Dinofans!

Tomorrow is a great day for dinosaur fans the world over... as it's National Dinosaur Day!

Fancy that. You know, I've loved dinosaurs since I was a kid. You can see some of that story here. It was my dream to see one for real. Little did I know that years later I'd write a book about that dream.

Bradley and the Dinosaur has been published for five years now, and thousands of small children have read of Bradley's adventure since it was published.

To celebrate this five-year anniversary and National Dinosaur Day, Singing Frog Publishing are offering a 'Jurassic discount' on the Kindle version for Amazon UK and Amazon US customers tomorrow, the 15th May.

Here's a link  - just make sure the price shows 99c or 99p before you buy.

We'll also be running a competition tomorrow to win one of two signed copies, so check tomorrow on FB and instagram for details.

What dinosaur activities do you have prepared for National Dinosaur Day? Maybe you'll create a dinosaur collage, play pin the tail on the stegosaurus or make giant footprints in the garden?

I hope you'll get to read some great dinosaur books. Here is Amazon's current top 100 if you need some ideas. Bradley and the Dinosaur is quite often listed there (at #96 as I type). I'm a big fan of Tea-Rex and The Allosaur Who Lost His Roar. There are so many it's incredible. Bradley is in some fine company!

Feel free to share any of your dino activities on our Facebook page - and have a great weekend! 

If you like the book and would like to leave a review, that would be roarsome too!

Julian

Greetings Frog Fans.

Super news for you this week on three counts. 

Firstly, a reminder that Bradley and the Magic Carpet will be available for FREE tomorrow, 3rd April, for the first time ever on Kindle. Just check to make sure the cost is zero before you 'purchase' on Amazon. This link should take you there for most countries.

So make sure you grab a copy then.

Secondly, some very exciting news to announce that Jessica DeShong has done an absolutely amazing video, telling the story of Bradley and the Magic Carpet. This video has just been released on her You Tube channel Miss Jessica's World and I really think she's done a fantastic take on it. I LOVE the sultan ... exactly as I would have imagined him portrayed.

There's even a soundtrack and a Q&A session with me at the end. I think it's perfect for when you want someone entertained for ten minutes or so! If it comes to that, Jessica has many wonderful videos on her channel, I've seen quite a few.. so I think you will find plenty more to watch there, and she is adding new stories all the time.

Jessica is multi-talented, so you will also find her singing great songs of her own composition and doing educational material as well.

Finally, I'm very pleased to announced that I have finished paintings for all fourteen spreads of my new and fourth up-coming picture book. I've also done a rough design for the cover. This means that the end goal is looming in sight.  I will now start all the post-processing work to make sure all the images are crystal clear for printing and that the pictures snap and pop off the page. Well, that's my fervent hope anyway. No pressure, eh?  I'm pleased with how it's going, but there's still a mountain to climb.

Once these images are processed, then the book-build won't be far behind and I will start being able to at least tell you something about the story and offer some glimpses!

So it's just left to wish you a wonderful weekend and hope you have fun and games whatever you do...

Dino wishes,

​Julian

Greetings Frog fans everywhere!

First the competition details....

All you have to do is :

1. Share this post on FB or repost on Instagram.
2. Join our mailing list - if you're at the website, then you should see a popup, or go here.

You could be in with a chance to win one of two signed copies of a Singing Frog Publishing book of your choice. (Bradley and the Dinosaur, Bradley and the Magic Carpet or Jumbo Giant Sausages).

Second.. some updates...

Last I wrote, I was mentioning that I was halfway through paintings for the next book and I hoped to continue doing one every one to two weeks. Well, I've just finished Painting #13 yesterday evening - so that puts me a little ahead of schedule.

Doesn't feel like it though! Haha.. I've been busy with my free moments.. trying to keep up the momentum... going from sketch plans to full A3 sketches to full watercolour for each painting. Yes.. maybe I did buy a couple of fine brushes along the way.. and my pencils are definitely getting shorter!

So this means, I have just one final watercolour to do for the final page of the story.

I still have to design a cover, which , let's face it, needs a lot of thought and detail and love spent on it.. so nothing I can rush really. I've been lucky with all the books so far, that I've been able to use images from the book on the cover. It might well be this time that there's a cover designed just specially to attract attention, that is not from the story. We'll see.

Then the so called 'endpapers' also have to be done. Also needs some thought.

Then comes post artwork and book building.. and then once that's underway, I'll need to think about some marketing and promotion activities in tandem with that.

Very often in the past, once the book was done, I've just uploaded to Amazon.. and hit 'Go'. A lot of fun, and very exciting to do that. However this time I might need to get a few other things in place before the book is commercially available.

That's it! I've also updated my profile on Goodreads and my current reading list and added a couple of reviews there too.

Bon weekend and good luck if you enter the competition!

​Julian

Greetings Singing Frog Fans!

So yes.. we are well in to the New Year already as I write.. still it's a nice title for the first post of the year.

New Year is a time for new beginnings, and good intentions. The 'decs' come down, and with the clearing away of the old year, thoughts turn positively to the coming prospects of the new one.

Yes.. it is a particularly difficult time for all in the world right now, but we can still follow our dreams as far as we may, in fact one could argue, that with the restrictions in the outside world, our focus can turn more inward to ourselves and what changes or improvements we'd like to make.

For me, I guess I'm lucky that my passion is still writing and imagining stories that I would like to tell for children (something you can do at home!) - and seeing my own daughter grow up so quickly, I realise it will not be long before picture books will be behind her.. so I need to work as effectively and with as much passion for the art as ever before, that she might get to enjoy a couple yet!

What is your passion, is there something you've longed to do?  It's surprising how even putting a couple of hours a week aside to something regularly can move you towards your goal. I know.. modern life is sooo full.. it's really hard to do this.. but if you can put some time aside, it can work wonders.

Jumbo Giant Sausages was a year and a half in the making (of just that sort of put-aside time), from concept to a book I am really happy with. Having drawn and illustrated this book myself, it was another steep learning curve. It was also a brand new story though, so I was very excited. I am currently working on another which was written at the same time, and I hope that I might shorten the timeline and get closer to a year for completing the book.

So, as you might have heard me say before already, there may not be as much interaction online or on social media for me over the next few months, but there will be updates!

So what's the update, then? So right now, I have just finished the 7th watercolour 'spread' (double page illustration) of the story, which makes the half-way point with seven more to do. It sounds like a lot of work still to do when I type that.. but if I can do one every two or so weeks.. (I'm already onto the plan for the 8th sketch) that would be brilliant.

Please remember to join the mailing list if you haven't already, as there will be other news and opportunities to win books for subscribers.. you will also be first to know about the release date for the new book.

Very best wishes,

Julian

Greetings Singing Frog Fans!

My goodness.. where does the time go to? Is it me or is December racing along at break-neck speed? It only seems two minutes ago I got my Christmas cards done... just about finished Christmas shopping... but what about all the book stuff too?

You may have noticed I've been slightly absent from social media - well, with being self-published, what you see here is just the one pair of hands... and as I've been working on the new book, other things have had to slow down. 

Still this month I had time to do a short interview with Angela Ressa of Katie's Readers in association with Stephanie Blore for her new book Reach for the Stars. That was a lot of fun to do. Her book is all about the different careers we can follow, "Inspire young children with a variety of occupations and activities while encouraging them to find their passion and follow their dreams.". So it was fun to talk shortly about what it's been like being a children's author.

​It looks to be a fabulous book (I've not seen the whole thing yet), and I look forward to leaving a review once I get hold of a copy.

I was fortunately also able to help them a little with some of the final stages of their publication, and it's a reminder to me, that one day Singing Frog Publishing will also publish stories by other authors, and I may well be able to help some people realise their dreams of getting into print. A ways off yet maybe, but certainly on the cards at some point.  Self-publishing is on the rise all the time, and I'm fairly sure my books would not be on shelves without that. So if you have a dream to publish.. stick with it!

Also this month I had another interview, this time with Jessica De Shong of Miss Jessica's World and that was such a hoot as well. I'd never done such a long interview to camera before (still only about 7 minutes) but she made me feel completely at home and she is so professional that I felt like I was in a studio in L.A. Haha 'almostfamous'!

We had a lot of fun doing the interview and I'll be very interested to see what the finished result is like (she will cut it onto the end of a video reading she is doing). Hopefully that will happen sometime in January, but I'll keep you posted.

I'm up to five paintings for the new book.. and working on the sixth sketch at the moment which is proving a little troublesome. Still I hope once we get to the Christmas Hols.. I will get at least a few hours to do a couple more paintings. Yes, two paintings is my target! I wonder if that resolution will be any stronger than the New Year's ones!

Lastly, and certainly not least.. I'd just like to warmly thank all our readers out there - some of you may find this blog eventually, I hope. It's been a really good year for Singing Frog Publishing and I think we've sold in excess of about 1300 books, with 250 just last month alone and another 700+ downloads too. Lots of positive reviews too which is great. So that's over 2000 of you out there who had maybe not heard of these books until now, and you took a chance.. and for that I am very grateful. I really hope they made some small person happy!

We've hit number 1 in categories for each ebook at some point in the last month - all thanks to your downloads, quite often at #2 in the paperback categories too.