late to dinner blog

November 23, 2009
Working on second submission and Facebook ad.

November 9, 2009
Received first rejection and wished I knew why. I think maybe the format/story is too complex for Sylvan Dell. Oh, well. This takes time!

November 2, 2009
I just started a new writers group: writersdigest.ning.com/group/animals

Today is the day! I submitted my first manuscript and joined the new Writer's Digest Community.

October 22, 2009
I am preparing my first submission letter (to Sylvan Dell). Very scary and exciting. As usual, I am quite distracted by the critters outside the open sliding glass door. The chipmunks are wanting peanuts! The view from my desk

October 5, 2009
No doubt submitting your first book is quite a challenge, but I quadrupled the challenge by writing one that combines my own photography AND illustration. The story was easy, but the labor involved in the rest of it has been somewhat overwhelming. I've come to the conclusion that I could be polishing it for the rest of my life and publishers will no doubt want to rework everything, so I'll stop wasting time and get on with the show. Thank you for your visiting!

why i want to be published

• Reading my published book to a group of kids and hearing their laughter would be the greatest thing. I already DO enjoy this to a certain degree with my nieces and friends' children, but I can never get enough! One little boy already wants a rabbit named "Rhubarb!"
• Who DOESN'T want to make a living doing what they enjoy the most? I already do, to some extent, but this would be the ultimate, and it would pay a few bills!
• My mother, who became a quadriplegic in 2006 after a freak accident, has very much enjoyed being my "editor." As a former English teacher, she has helped me greatly, and this project has given her much needed feelings of usefulness. The pride we would feel in seeing "Late to Dinner" published is immeasurable.

about my backyard critters

In the spring, especially, it's almost impossible to tear me away from the windows and my camera. My backyard critters are my life! There are too many to count. All critters look forward to a morning and afternoon feeding. When they see me coming with the food, they pop out from every corner and don't wait for me to finish before they start eating. In the summer they enjoy blocks of ice inserted into the various water sources I provide. SPOILED!

See my critter merchandise! www.zazzle.com/thefontaines

"In Late to Dinner, Michelle Fontaine zooms in on the high drama any of us might find in our back yard. Hers features Rhubarb the Rabbit, an ebullient but somewhat impervious creature in search of food. Rhubarb encounters a cadre of squirrels, chipmunks and other rabbits who challenge and help him in his quest. Cute, cute, cute all the way through, this story will bring your own back yard to life!" Jennifer Jill Schwirzer— Christian Author, Speaker, Musician, and Mental Health Counselor

Short version: "Michelle Fontaine brings her back yard to life in the story of Rhubarb the Rabbit. Late to Dinner will warm your heart and tickle your funny bone!" Jennifer Jill Schwirzer

book background

Like the Reese Cup commercials from the 1970s where children accidentally get their chocolate and peanut butter mashed together, my two greatest passions—graphic design and backyard photography—have fused into a children's book so entertaining that it almost doesn’t even need words. But the words make it educational. The manuscript is interchangeable, meaning I can switch out the photos or the dialogue in a jiffy! I have thousands of photos and many "critters" in my yard. Storylines zip through my head like the many chipmunks who chase each other around every day outside my office window.

basic story premise

A rabbit forgets breakfast, gets hungry, eats too much, and is VERY late for dinner!
Age level: Preschool-early reader
Genres: Cosy picture book / Talking Animals / Wildlife

book challenge(s)

How do I submit a manuscript that requires photos to tell the story?
Full Manuscript The photos have to be included. I tried using Word, but ended up dropping everything into Adobe InDesign.

note about the illustrations

Special thanks goes to Fine Artist Barbara Jaenicke, who provided the landscape background used for this web page and book sample pages.

The graphics used in the book's sample pages come from many different sources and are only in place for the purpose of promoting the manuscript and concept of the book.

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