It's 2012!

I can't believe 2011 is over and now 2012 is here. It's been awhile since I've added to the blog, but during the winter I took a bit of a break from signings due to a cold. I did a Midnight Madness signing in Downtown Annapolis for Christmas time in December, then rested and enjoyed Christmas, along with my 18th birthday. I will be posting some booksigning pictures from 2011 that I recently found, as a way to highlight some of the fun times from last year. Stay tuned!

The New Year 2011, Happy New Year

I can't believe how fast time flies; It's already January 2011! Here are some of the highlights of book signings and events for Moonlight Memoirs from December:

I did a Book signing at Hard Bean Cafe and Booksellers - It was a freezing night, but fun to sit outside listening to carols and see festive holiday spirit. I was visited during my second Midnight Madness book signing in downtown Annapolis on December 9, 2010.

The Indie Bookman Show - I was interviewed by Brad Grochowski, CEO of AuthorsBookshop.com, for an upcoming podcast on the Indie Bookman Show. Look at this blog, and Moonlight Memoirs's facebook and twitter for date and time to catch the podcast. Moonlight Memoirs is also available for purchase at AuthorsBookshop.com!

The Centering Corporation - I am honored that Moonlight Memoirs is now available through this non-profit organization which is dedicated to providing education on grief and loss for professionals and the families they serve.

Local Hospice Donation- We delivered signed copies of Moonlight Memoirs and cute mice and nests created by Danielle Engle to Hospice of the Chesapeake for use in their children's programs. This could not have been possible without the help of Miss Danielle, for her creativity and kindness to make these handmade nests. We hope that these nests with the mice and books provide comfort to children who need it. The picture (right) is of me and Sarah Montgomery, childrens group leader.

Here are some exciting upcoming events:

Targeted Media Release - To publicly announce Moonlight Memoirs' many literary awards, we are sending a press release to over 1800 targeted magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations during the next few months.

Book signings - There will be many more book-signings this year. Watch Maggie's blog, Facebook and Twitter for specific dates and times.

Professional Conferences and Book Fairs - Throughout the coming year, Moonlight Memoirs will attend numerous library and other professional conferences in addition to national and international book fairs.

During my book signings and presentations this past year, one comment has been repeated over and over again - "This book belongs in every elementary school library!". As a result, we will be contacting guidance counselors and school psychologists to inform them about Moonlight Memoirs' value as an elementary level resource for children experiencing loss. If you have any ideas regarding how to best reach this audience, please contact Greta Johnson at gretajohnson@goodtimespress.com. Thanks for reading and have a great new year!

December Booksignings and Gift Baskets!

I did a book signing for Midnight Madness in Downtown Annapolis at the Hardbean Coffee & Booksellers on Thursday, December 2nd from 6-9 PM. It was very cold weather, but fun to sign out where you could see people walking by and hear bands playing Christmas Carols.

I will be doing another book signing for Midnight Madness at the same place on Thursday, December 9th from 6-9 PM, and signing for the Eleventh Hour in Downtown Annapolis. Usually I will be signing outside in the Winter air, so stop by and say hi.


I also put together some cute Christmas gift baskets for Moonlight Memoirs.

They contain a handmade pair of Moonlight Memoirs mice, sleeping in a handmade little nest, an autographed copy of Moonlight Memoirs (perhaps double signed by author and illustrator), a pen, business card, post cards, two magnets (one small and one large), a bookmark signed by Melody Lea Lamb the illustrator, a cotton shirt, all conveniently packed into a decorative Christmas Basket.

The mice are made by Miss Danielle. She handcrafts, felts, and hand-crochets each individual creation. She is Henry JM the Cat's Ambassador from Minneapolis, Minn. To find out more information about her visit Henry's website here.

That's all for now. Check out Moonlight Memoirs Twitter, and my Twitter. Also Moonlight Memoirs Facebook and mine are updated constantly for the latest news about Moonlight Memoirs! To purchase Moonlight Memoirs please visit our website here. Thanks so much!

November Events, Awards and Updates and Excitement!

Moonlight Memoirs has had another exciting month. We've had lots of fun events and opportunities appear.

My interview from October 2009, filmed at the Annapolis Bookstore in Downtown Annapolis appeared on Channel 100 on tv, which was interesting to watch.

I received my Moonbeam Children's Book medal for Moonlight Memoirs recently.

So far Moonlight Memoirs has won six awards this year. We've also received more distribution (scroll down for more information).

Today I received a surprise in the mail; a package from Miss Danielle A. Engle & Little Ones. Inside were two sets of little mice on cushions, just like the ones in Moonlight Memoirs and a little card! They are adorable and I'm very thankful to have received them. Thanks to Miss Danielle and everyone for making them. Danielle handcrafts, felts, and hand-crochets each individual creation. She is Henry JM the Cat's Ambassador from Minneapolis, Minn. To find out more about her click here.

It's very exciting and I hope more good things happen this year.

Henry JM is ASPCA's Cat of the Year for 2010 - Our cat friend, Henry JM, who encourages people of all ages to move beyond ignorance and bias into acceptance and understanding is the ASPCA Cat of the Year!

Ronald McDonald House Donations - We donated copies of Moonlight Memoirs to many Ronald McDonald Houses around the nation, hoping that Maggie's message of comfort will help families during their stay.

More Distribution for Moonlight Memoirs - We just received word that Baker and Taylor, the world's largest distributor of books and entertainment, accepted Good Times Press as a vendor. We expect to complete the paperwork process very soon!

What's Happening, Annapolis - Read this new book review by editor Nadja Maril!

Events on the Horizon
Freddie Mac Foundation's Adoption Expo - Maggie will be signing and selling books at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington DC during this expo from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Click here for more information.

Book Signing at Borders - Maggie will be signing and selling books at the Annapolis Mall Borders Bookstore on Sunday, November 14, 2010 from 2 to 4 PM. See you there!

December events (so far) - Maggie will be signing and selling books at Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers downtown Annapolis during Midnight Madness on December 2 and 9, 2010 starting at 6 PM.

The Rest of the Story
Provide comfort to a military family grieving the loss of a loved one by donating a copy of Moonlight Memoirs to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).

Moonlight Memoirs blog, facebook pages, and twitters are constantly updated and check them out for more cool updates and news! Thanks for reading!

The October Newsletter

Moonbeams and Moonlight

Here you will find the latest happenings with the award-winning picture book, Moonlight Memoirs - Remembering that Family and Friends are Forever, written by Maggie Mei Lewis and illustrated by Melody Lea Lamb.

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

We are thrilled to announce that Moonlight Memoirs is one of three finalists in the 2010 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for Best First Book, Picture Books. We will know which medal (gold, silver or bronze) Maggie and Melody won by mid-October. The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards is designed to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. We will be attending the Awards Ceremony at the Traverse City, Michigan Children's Book Festival on November 13, 2010.

Melody Runs for the Critters
Moonlight Memoirs' illustrator, Melody Lea Lamb, raised $1500 for animal charity while running DATA[ the six mile George Coope Memorial Race in Adams, MA on September 19, 2010. We were honored to help by donating to the Old Dog Haven, where senior dogs live out their lives in a loving environment. Congratulations, Melody! Way to Go!

Be the Star You Are
Maggie Mei's live interview with Cynthia Brian, the Oprah of the Airwaves, will be re-broadcast on Thursday, October 14 at 3 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Listen in!

New Accounts!
Moonlight Memoirs is now available locally at Franklin's Toy Store, Blooms Florist, and Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers. It is also available nationwide at Borders and Barnes & Noble, plus Amazon and our website!

Events on the Horizon
Boat Show Book Signings - Maggie will be signing books in front of the Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers downtown Annapolis during the Sailboat Show (October 7&8) and the Powerboat Show (October 15). Look for the Moonlight Memoirs banner across from Market House.

Local Author Night - Maggie will be signing books at the Odenton Library during Local Author night on October 13, 2010 6-8 PM. Join us!

Moonlight Memoirs' Second Printing - We will be accepting delivery of 3,000 more books this month. Now to find a place to store them!

The Rest of the Story
Provide comfort to a military family grieving the loss of a loved one by donating to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Suvivors (TAPS) at our website.

Remember to visit the Moonlight Memoirs Cafe Press Store!

New updates and recaps about Moonlight Memoirs!

The Moonlight Memoir's June Newsletter was just sent out. We've had so many exciting new events and opportunities come up. Here's the recap of last month in May.

The Young Voices Foundation Seal of Approval
We are thrilled to announce that Moonlight Memoirs recently received a Seal of Approval from the Young Voices Foundation. This award honors books that inspire, mentor and educate readers of all ages. Judging is based on content (with an emphasis on strong family values), originality, design and production quality. Addtionally, Moonlight Memoirs is now under consideration for a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Young Voices Seal of Excellence.

The 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
As you already know from our May News Bulletin, Moonlight Memoirs won a First Place Gold Medal in the Indie Book Awards. This is a very exciting and rewarding book awards program for independent publishers and authors worldwide. It was established to honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories for each year. It is an thrill to be selected as winner of the Spirituality Category.

Talking Books TV
Melody and I were recently interviewed by Michelle Vandepas of Talking Books TV. The interview can be seen on the Moonlight Memoirs YouTube channel, at our website, on Amazon plus other internet sites. Watch the fun here!

A New Distributor!
We are very happy to announce that Follett Library Resources is our new distributor to schools and school libraries. The Follett Corporation began in 1873 as a small bookstore in Wheaton, Illinois. Today, Follett Library Resources is the largest supplier of books, eBooks and audiovisual materials to PreK-12 schools worldwide. We are looking forward to Moonlight Memoirs going to the schools!

Events on the Horizon for June

Baltimore Sun Newspaper - Watch for an article about Moonlight Memoirs and Maggie Mei in the Baltimore Sun on Sunday, June 6th in the Maryland, Anne Arundel County Section.

Chinese Culture Camp - On June 19th, Maggie will be co-leading a drawing/writing workshop at Families with Children from China Maryland's annual Chinese Culture Camp.

American Library Association's 2010 Conference - In Washington DC on Saturday, June 26th at 11 AM, Maggie will be signing books at the Quality Books, Inc. booth during this annual event.

Annapolis Bookstore Grand Re-Opening - Maggie will be signing books at this event in late June. Watch Maggie's blog for announcement of date and time.

The Rest of the Story

Provide comfort to a military family who is grieving the loss of a loved one by donating a copy of Moonlight Memoirs to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

Follow my and Moonlight Memoirs' Facebook page for updates during June. I tweet on Twitter too!

Check out Maggie's author page on Amazon!

To purchase a copy of Moonlight Memoirs, go on-line to www.moonlightmemoirs.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon or ask your favorite bookseller.

Moonlight Memoirs is distributed to bookstores by Partner's Book Distributing (1-800-336-3137); to libraries by Quality Books, Inc (1-800-323-4241) and to schools by Follett Library Resources (1-800-511-5114).

Take a look in the Moonlight Memoirs Cafe Press Store for some delightful mementos!

This was a great recap of May, and a successful month! Can't wait to see all the other things wonderful in store for us!

I am very excited to announce that Moonlight Memoirs is the 1st place, gold medal winner in the Spirituality category of the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. These awards are sponsored by The Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (IBPPG) which is an organization that promotes professional standards in independent book publishing (also known as "indie" book publishing).

This is a great honor for myself as the author and Melody Lea Lamb, as the illustrator because the awards are open to independent publishers worldwide, making it a very competitive book award. The winners and announcement will be on their website in early june. You can check out their website here. Also, Moonlight Memoirs will be listed as a Winner in the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards catalog which will be distributed at Book Expo America ("BEA") in New York later in the month to thousands of attendees including book buyers, library representatives, media, industry
professionals, and others.

I feel very honored to win such a great award, and can't wait to see whats in store for us next! Myself and the illustrator were also just recently interviewed by Talking Books Tv, and our interview will be coming out soon.