So, I’m sitting in Starbucks Coffee yesterday. I was feeling quite motivated after finishing and submitting my latest story to the Writers of the Future Contest. The two women who were sitting next to me left after about an hour and another young woman came and sat next to me shortly thereafter. I didn’t take notice because I was heads-down into revising my novel, EVE320.
So, coming up for air after writing for about an hour, I noticed that the woman next to me had the smallest computer I had ever seen, and she had a drawing tablet hooked up to her USB port. I said hello and asked what she was working on. She was working on a drawing and I mentioned that I was working on a manuscript. Yeah, okay. We’re both artists and we both hang out at Starbucks to do our work. I got back to work, and she did the same. About an hour later, as she was leaving, I decided on to hand her my business card. She, in return, handed me a postcard.
Wow! The front of her postcard blew me away! It was one of her illustrations of a little girl, spying on a supper populated by different animals. It was gorgeous! On the back of the card were three other illustrations, each with a distinctly different feel to them.
The artist’s name is Kerry Lynn Valenzuela. And, she’s a member of SCBWI. I didn’t know what that meant, but she explained that it was The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She illustrates children’s stories! If you can use a children’s illustrator check out her blog and send her an e-mail. Her work is amazing!