Book Birthday Blog with Pen R. Mark

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Pen R. Mark on the release of The Reminator: 2 Sea & B-Yond

Your first book in the series was a family collaboration with your daughter editing and your son illustrating. Did the three of you work on the second book? Please describe your collaborative process.

I released my first book in September of 2022. That October I took a road trip with my family and we brought Remi along. While we were visiting Boston I shared a moment with a stranger watching an octopus tank at The New England Aquarium. We discussed our travels and our love for Europe. Right then it hit me that my next book would take place in Europe and my characters would be an octopus and a turtle. I have a special love for turtles.  The pictures my son illustrated in this book are from my collection of pictures from my visit to the New England Aquarium. This book is very special to me because the character of Turtle is based on my cousin's son who died from diabetes at a young age. Melody the octopus in the book is based on my best friend's granddaughter, who she only met a few times before passing away. My cousin's son, Brandyn, loved Rubik's Cubes so the R2Square in the book is symbolic of a Rubik's Cube. I've also been taking singing lessons and I decided to write a short song to include in the book.  I rewrote this book about five or six times before I felt satisfied with it. The book was then edited by my daughter before finally being illustrated by my son. Overall, the book took months to complete because I wanted it to be perfect for my readers. 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

My hope is that my readers realize that every individual has something to offer this beautiful world we live in!  

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it? 

You can find this book on Barnes and Noble, Abe books, and Amazon. I just did a book signing at Cole's Bookstore in Canada and plan on doing many more. 

What's next for you?

I am working on an activity book now for elementary kids. I'm not sure when I want to release it. It will be sometime in the fall or Black Friday!

More about the book . . . 

When Remi, also known as Nator, embarks on a European adventure with his Grammie, little does he know that it will turn into a mission to reunite a sea turtle family and find belonging in unexpected places. This charming children's story unfolds in the magical backdrop of undersea condos and mystical water circuses. Nator, a recent Super-Hero Camp graduate, is equipped not just with super-hero gear but also a heart full of empathy. His tale gets tangled with Turtle, his camp friend who's grappling with a family rift. Turtle's sister, Melody, is a disillusioned octopus who's causing havoc in the ocean. Using his cleverness, courage, and a magical collar that can play music, Nator takes on Melody's wrath and bridges emotional gaps. Filled with thrilling escapades and touching moments, the story also delves into the importance of family—blood-related or otherwise—and finding one's purpose. From flying over the ocean for the first time to spinning around in capes for rescue, Nator navigates highs and lows to bring a family back together. Dive in to experience how heroes come in all shapes and sizes, even with wagging tails! 

Publisher: Pen R. Mark

More about the author . . . 

Adventurous and unique is the best way to describe Pen R. Mark. She was born and raised in the Port Huron area and spent a lot of time at the local library as a child where she fell in love with books. Books are full of adventure and can take you to far away worlds! Pen R. Mark took the lessons from these books as a template for life. She likes to try new experiences, travel to faraway places and go on new adventures. Eventually, when her grandpup Remi came into her life, she knew she had a new sidekick for all her adventures.  

https://www.facebook.com/The.Reminator