After several long years (this book sold the same month Hugging the Rock did) I am proud to announce that the true story of Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo is out from Lerner Publishing. The illustrator, Jeni Reeves, did a marvelous job on the illustrations.
This book is based on the true story of young Enrique Esparza who took shelter at the Alamo with his family when Mexican General Santa Anna and his army came to battle the Texans in San Antonio. The book is out in both hardback and paperback at the same time which I think is very smart of the publishers. And what fun for teachers, there’s a Reader’s Theater all ready for you in the back of the book!
Now if I could just figure out how to get it into the gift shop AT the Alamo, wouldn’t that be sweet? 🙂
w00t!!!!
Looks beautiful- happy bookday, Susan!
Congratulations!!!
Gosh, it would seem like the gift shop at the Alamo would be a natural fit, and I’ll bet parents would snap it up. Fingers crossed for you.
Step 1: Come visit me.
Step 2: Go to Alamo carrying copy of book with all your contact information inside – business card or bookmark or whatever. I’ll go with you for moral support.
Step 3: Check shelves to make sure it isn’t there. If it is there, offer to sign stock.
Step 4: If it isn’t there, approach gift shop personnel who aren’t too busy and ask for manager.
Step 5: Show manager book; explain that since so many books come out of New York every season you wanted to make sure that yours came to their attention and you’d like to leave a copy so their buyers can evaluate its suitability for the Alamo gift shop. If manager not available, explain this to the sales clerk who won’t let you see him.
Step 6: Take your cue from the response. If it’s polite and non-committal, go on your way bearing in mind all the times you’ve had to be polite and non-committal. If eager and excited, roll with that.
Step 7: Come with me to Mr. Ice Cream and a stroll on the River Walk or through King William before heading down to the Twig/Red Balloon and showing the book to them.
Just let me know when you’ll arrive. We have a futon in Michael’s old room, but no air conditioning, so July/August may not be your preferred time.
Or I can get you contact information to do it long distance, but then you don’t get to visit me.
Love you, Peni! Me and Texas heat and no AC might not work with general grumpiness and the rosecea but I love you for the offer.
I am thinking about a Texas trip in my future though and San Antonio is at the heart of it. Mr. Ice Cream and the River Walk when I’m awake!
If you go to Texas, I wanna come with. Never been there.
What a fantastic book, Susan! I will definitely buy it. I’ve been to the Alamo twice. What an emotional place that is and the stories of the people there. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Can’t Lerner contact the Alamo? I’d think they could sell hundreds if not thousands of copies right there!
This is BEAUTIFUL–congrats, Susan!
Congrats
Fantastic, Susan!
Yay! It looks awesome! Congratulations! 🙂
Congratulations!!!! Can’t wait to get my own copy! (Will you sign it?) xo
congratulations!!!
This looks wonderful, Susan! The reader’s theater sounds great.
And it should totally be at the gift shop at the Alamo.
Enjoy your day!
Congratulations, Susan!!
Both B&N and Amazon say the release date is August 1st. Is the book available now from the publisher? I wanted to do a pub day post, but couldn’t obtain a copy or track down any info about it. Maybe I’ll feature it for Nonfiction Monday :).
Jama,
What a sweetie! I asked my editor several times and she said the book would be available for purchase on the 15th which I THOUGHT was today but this stupid summer cold and earache has me all messed up. So yes, the book is available now. I’m happy to mail you a copy if you want to send me your address.
Thanks for the generous offer, but I want to purchase my own copy!! Come to think of it, I’ll purchase several for nieces and nephews, etc. 🙂
Yay! I’ll look for it next time at the bookstore!
Congrats! Sounds interesting. I hope you can get it into the Alamo bookshop (and perhaps other San Antonio bookstores?)
Whoop! Congrats!
random commenter
the book looks beautiful and sounds wonderful, congratulations!
Happy book birthday!
And have you contacted the Alamo gift shop? It actually sounds like an (almost) no-brainer, by which I mean that they should OF COURSE want it!
Congratulations, Susan! It looks wonderful. And yes it sounds like a great fit for the Alamo gift shop.
My own experience with gift shops is that publishers don’t always make much headway with them, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work out in the long run. And even if they come to it late, they may carry it for years and years afterward.
Yay!
Congratulations, Susan. And good idea to get it in the Alamo gift shop.
Congratulations!!!!
Cover looks really nice. Looking forward to reading it.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I’m so proud of you, Susan! xoxox And I’d send a signed copy directly to The Alamo.
Congratulations! Looks great!
I am a little late commenting but I look forward to reading and blogging about this!
Big congratulations!
Love the art – perfect style for the subject and setting!
Thank you, Joyce, I’m so behind on all the blogs that I don’t even know where to dive in. Sigh. I’ll never get caught up/
I appreciate the kind words.