Yay! I am so excited about this brand-new book that launches TODAY! And I’m pretty sure that when you hear more about it, you will be, too! Book 1 of the Missy & Mason series is : Missy Wants a Mammoth, written by Pam Vaughan and illustrated by Ariel Landy.
It is with Pixel+Ink. You can see more details here: 

https://silverunicornbooks.com/item/2wJn2c0AgM5Kp0MsTH7gtw

Just look at that cover! So engaging and inviting! I already want to know what is going to happen. Will the mammoth come to life like in the movie Night at the Museum?

So, dear friends, pull up a chair, help yourself to a piece of yummy birthday cake, and let’s join author Pam who stopped by to tell us a little bit about the story – and the story behind the story.

ME: Welcome, Pam! We’ve met at conferences – and I’m ultra-excited to see you again for the Acadia Writing Retreat and Book Festival in October – late October in Acadia National Park should be glorious – and with Eileen Robinson as one of the faculty – WOW! And WOW for MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH! Can you tell us a little bit about the story?

PAM:  Hi Vivian! Thank you so much for the opportunity to be on your blog for my book birthday!! 
First-grader Missy pushes the bounds of her imagination—and her older brother Mason’s patience—as she lays out her plan for a new pet. A must-have for fans of Charlie and Lola and Olivia or anyone crafting a case for why they need a new animal addition to the family.At the Museum of Natural History, first-grader Missy has a genius gigantic idea: she wants a wooly mammoth as her new pet. She’ll name him Malcolm. They’ll take bubble baths with strawberry-banana shampoo, and go on picnics, and she’ll swing from his tusks. They’ll be best friends. Older brother, Mason, spots one mammoth-sized problem with her plans. . . . But once Missy gets an idea in her head, nothing (not even the fact that mammoths have been extinct for ten thousand years) is going to stop her from getting her fuzzy new friend.Missy and Mason are a winning new pair for the canon of sibling stories—when Missy dreams a little too big, Mason is always there to help pull her back, and when practical Mason plays it too safe, Missy helps push him to think bigger—and Missy Wants a Mammoth is sure to charm in a massive way.

ME: Oh, I love how this sounds, Pam. And can you share a bit about the journey for this book? We always love to hear about the path to publication.

PAM: Perhaps you can remember back to the time when your debut was about to, well, debut! It’s exciting and so much anticipation of not knowing what to expect. It’s like I’ve been trekking along learning, writing, revising, learning, talking with other writers, getting feedback, reading, learning, writing, revising…you know, all those kinds of things in my little world.

 And then, all of a sudden (which isn’t really so sudden), my words are going to be a book! It’s exciting and wonderful and amazing and…(maybe slightly terrifying 😉 ) It’s like a shift in the mind – coming out of that previous trek (learning, writing, revising, learning, talking with other writers, getting feedback, reading, learning, writing, revising) and figuring out the new and exciting world of having a book – go beyond my little world around me and into the wider world.

Of course I am extremely grateful in all ways!!!

Including you! So, thank you! I appreciate YOU and all you do for all of our kidlit friends and community.

One semi-humorous story is that this book, Missy Wants a Mammoth  sold in 2020 and was due to come out at the end of 2022. In February of 2022 my editor asked for a meeting with my agent and me to discuss the publication process, publicity timing, next steps, etc. As a new author I was super excited to have a face-to-face (virtual) meeting with my agent and editor together!

I was all smiles when I got on the meeting. But within a minute, my editor says, “I’m just going to rip off the band-aid.” I didn’t even have enough time to process her words when she said that due to COVID challenges, the illustrator has had to step away from the project. They both assured me things would work out for the best and it was all going to be okay. My response was, I feel like we got scored on, but we didn’t lose the game. I don’t think my response was what either of them expected! So, the illustrator search continued. Then, I got a call from my editor. She said she had an illustrator that she really liked…however, she was about to go on maternity leave and she had another project ahead of us. The editor and I both thought the illustrator – Ariel Landy – was worth the wait! So…we waited. The new date was July 2,2024 until…

I received one more call that said the date got pushed out again – but only one more month – August 6, 2024. 

As children’s book authors we always hear that patience and resilience are essential attributes in this industry – so there is some proof. 

I would also add gratitude. I’m so grateful to be able to write children’s books and to be able to share my books with people of all ages – young and young at heart! I lead with gratitude and appreciation!

Again, thank you for all of your time, hard work, and dedication to the kidlit space and helping authors on their journeys! 

ME: And we are all grateful for what you have done as ARA of NESCBWI, lynchpin of Writers’ Loft, and everything else you do for the kid lit community, dear Pam!
To find out more about Pam and connect with her: www.pamvaughanauthor.com

And, dear friends, even though it is Pam’s book birthday, she’s the one giving the present! Please make sure you leave a comment and let us know which gift you would prefer if you are the lucky winner of the giveaway: a copy of MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH or a 20-minute Ask-Me-Anything Zoom Chat with Pam.

And what can we do to let authors know how much we love their books? We can:
Buy them
Review them
Put them on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about them (share this post on social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection