First Peak: PROOFS!!!!!!

..............................DRUMROLL....................... p..l..e..a..s..e........................................... Here it is!! This is the first peak at the final color proofs of my up & coming picture book. Proof of life!!! Whoooooo hoooooo!! Allen was back from golfing this morning and then went dashing out the front door with a huge smile on his face. I wasn't even the slightest bit suspicious. In retrospect he did look like he'd swallowed all the goldfish. He came skipping back with an enormous box 'quasi-hidden' behind his back. It took me about three heart-beats to realize what was going on. I launched off of my perennial seat in front of the quilt above and literally went leaping across our little living room. Squealing with gleeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

He made some effort to pretend he wouldn't let me open it until I finished the digital-proposal I was working on for KY. Ya don't mess with a mama-lion. He quickly relented and handed it over. What you are seeing is the first full size, full color, full-of-life "signature" -- which is the initial 8 pages of the book, starting from the title page onward. That is the over-sized sheet. The cover proof is a full size presentation in it's exact placement...... back cover on the left, front cover on the right. The 'pin-wheel' sheet is the full color/full size presentation of the "end papers" -- those pages that are glued down inside to the cover. I've been saying all year long, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Today, I'm thinkin' it really, truly is gonna come to pass. Today is Sept. 9th and exactly one month from today is my presentation for CAEYC. The question remains, "will they possibly be printed and shipped to Columbus in that length of time?"

Inquisitive minds want to know. Stay tuned for the answer!!