Tag: Kids Fiction

Latest News: Finishing 2022 with a bang!

Kimberly Novak

Media/Press for Bella’s Beautiful Miracle

Voyage Ohio Magazine – Hidden Gem Feature

Catholic Mom – Review

Write Now Edits

Bella has arrived at the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Independence Branch! Check it out!

Talk about an exciting moment! Surprisingly, walking into the library to search for Bella made me a bit nervous. I can’t explain the reasons behind that particular emotion, but I was a little shaky. She was nestled in the Juvenile Fiction section, looking so cute among the other books. I had realized my dream of seeing her on a shelf other than my own, let alone in a public place.

I am happy to see how God works through me by using Bella and her story. My conversations with parents, grandparents, and children have been amazing; each carried its blessing. I pray that each one who reads Bella and encounters the adventures within the story becomes blessed and enveloped in God’s Love!

Have you read Bella’s Beautiful Miracle? Please post your review online at Amazon or other book-reviewing sites.

Enjoy the latest customer review:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring and Heartfelt Read Excellent for Children

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 22, 2022

“As a son of a pastor and a missionary kid, reading Bella’s Beautiful Miracle brought back joyous memories of Sunday school lessons. Kimberly writes in a way that is easy for her target audience to engage while still using strong imagery to engage any audience (e.g. “Looking back at her were two large eyes, and attached to the eyes was a snail.”).

I enjoyed that each animal companion Bella comes across on her adventure has a special, God-filled message to teach the inquisitive caterpillar; I especially liked Gracie the grasshopper who plays “the violin” with her leg against her wing. 🙂

There are nuggets of inspirations here to help anyone transform into a better version of themselves in Kimberly’s spiritual (and actual) story of metamorphosis.”

-Joshua Snowden-Bahr (writing from AnnettaMarie Snowden’s account)

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle has received the Catholic Writer’s Guild Seal of Approval!

Readers can be assured that SoA books will not offend their faith and have a certain level of editorial quality.

Inspire Writers Courage Anthology 2022 is now available

I am blessed to have been selected as one of 26 authors in this year’s Inspire Writers Anthology. My story, Courageous Love, was one that I had written several years ago. I could never find the perfect home for the story until I learned of this opportunity. Upon the leading of the Holy Spirit, I dusted it off, polished it up, and gave it one more try. I am thrilled with the outcome. Happy that it now sits among the stories and poems published in this book.

Click here to purchase your copy!

Upcoming Events

February 18, 2023 – Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference

More to come!

I await confirmation on a few more vendor opportunities and another book signing. Check back for updates, and I hope you will grow excited to meet Bella and her friends!

Reading and Promotional Opportunities

I am seeking reading opportunities for local libraries, schools, and podcasts. You may reach me via the contact form, and I’ll be happy to discuss it.

Bella is One Month Old!

Kimberly Novak

Let’s celebrate with a surprise! Bella’s Beautiful Miracle electronic version is in full color!

Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

Yep, click here to check it out and see for yourself! Bella and her friends are illustrated beautifully in full color, as this was my original vision for the work. I noted previously that my publishing journey was often a roller coaster ride, which proved true until the end. I had a wonderful experience with my publisher and the design team, they did Bella justice, and I couldn’t wait to present her to the world in living color. However, God had other plans, and it wasn’t until several weeks later that it made complete sense to me.

All the many hours and days spent designing the scenes, right down to how much sparkle was on Bella’s cheeks, were my vision. I had an attachment to every decision made concerning the 18 designs. They were perfect because I knew Bella’s story inside and out. I used specific colors to capture her and her friends’ emotions. I didn’t and couldn’t see it any other way.

That was until I learned of the price my readers would pay for a product done with full-color printing. The book price would have far exceeded what I thought was reasonable to ask my readers to pay. More importantly, was the fact that my goal and mission through this work is to share the love of Jesus. I feared a high price item would impede what I set out to do.

Finally, a decision to publish with black and white illustrations seemed most reasonable. The good news was that as I reviewed each one, I realized they were just as beautiful. Also, an agreement was made to publish the electronic version in color. A colorful version would be such a treat to those who opted to read Bella electronically.

Today marks the one-month anniversary of Bella’s Release date, and God has blessed me with the gift of clarity and purpose. As I mentioned, all the colors and decisions behind each one were all mine. Today, I believe that God wants you, as the reader, to color Bella and her friends beautifully. We are all unique, carrying with us our reasons for how we see color. Perhaps, what I view as “Friendly Yellow” someone else sees as too bright. I could go on and on with examples, but I think I’ve gotten to the point.

All of this leads me to some exciting news. I have created a coloring/activity book to relate to Bella’s story. I will post updates as I have them in my hands! In the meantime, I’m adding a PDF treat for you to get a head start on deciding how you envision Bella and her colors.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

As we walk in God’s light daily, we will see the world in the colors God intends. There may be a reason I see the sky as a soft blue, and someone else describes it as smokey blue. Colors bring out emotions, memories, and matters of the heart. So, the next time you open a box of crayons, take a moment and have a prayerful chat with God sharing how each color makes you feel. Perhaps colors in your life will take on an entirely new meaning.

God Bless,

Kimberly

color-stormDownload

Glad I buckled my safety belt, this is quite the ride!

Kimberly Novak
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As summer exits, I would guess amusement parks, vacation hot spots, and local swimming pools are gearing up for the end of the season. Scripture tells us there is a time and season for everything under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) I believe an ending usually leads to the beginning of something beautiful and perhaps better than what came before.

The adventure of publishing Bella has been one I will never forget. Even with the twists, turns, and the times I questioned out loud, “what have I gotten myself into?” I have loved this ride! I won’t bore you with details; that could be a book in itself.

Here comes the best part of this post! Bella’s Beautiful Miracle is set to release on September 7, 2022.

Both the paperback and kindle versions are available to pre-order. All you need to do is click the link below!

Pre-order now at Amazon

Also exciting are upcoming announcements that will include advance copy giveaways, including a full-color hardcover copy!

I thank you all very much for your participation and genuine interest. I am beyond excited for the future, even with all the unknown adventures accompanying it.

Keep an eye on my social media sites for marketing pitches and updates. The first shipment of author copies will arrive at my door in the next few days! I’m not sure how much sleep I will get anticipating the emotional response as I open that box!

Click to enjoy the book trailer, which you will see much more of in the coming weeks as we gear up for the release date!

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle Book Trailer

Copyright Kimberly Novak 2022

Blessings,

Kimberly

Latest News and Headlines

Kimberly Novak

Hello friends! Bella and I have fun updates to share!

Production News

The final approval for print and distribution was signed on Wednesday, July 13th, and I received a congratulatory email on 7/20 outlining next steps. The current status is to wait patiently while Trilogy works behind the scenes to upload the files digitally. ( 3-4 week process) Once complete, I will be contacted with a release date, instructed on sales process, and purchase advance copies!

Marketing Updates

Volunteer opportunities are open for participation on my social media marketing team. Once the book is available, your involvement will include posting on your social media outlets, blog posts on your websites, and word of mouth. I will provide you with everything needed to help spread the news. A few reviewers are needed and required to write a note or two, which I will post on this website. Volunteer to review and receive an advance copy! Reservations are required to review the book and will be taken in the order received. Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity! Click here to let me know you are ready to help!

A new blog post recently published on outofthechrysalis.com

May my living reveal God’s Goodness

New articles published this month

Check out the Contributing Author Articles tab (or click below) for new articles published this month.

Stay tuned for further updates and opportunities for advance copy give aways!

Blessings,

Kimberly

Bella Update: Page Design Completed

Kimberly Novak

Hello friends! I thought I would give a quick update. I have approved the final draft of the page design for Bella’s Beautiful Miracle. Even more exciting news leaves us only needing to finalize the cover. I would love to approximate when the book is ready for release, but for now, only God knows.

In the meantime, I am going to gift you another teaser and a quick note about the page design process and how I made my edits.

Upon completing the illustration process, the designer uploaded the manuscript and illustrations into a book format. This stage used Adobe PDF, and we went through three passes back and forth before I was satisfied with the layout. As I’m typing this, it doesn’t sound like much work. However, time played a huge role. There is a standard ten-day turnaround each time the publishing company passes the document to me. I was diligent in making my edits within a business week. Still, adding ten days gave 15 days between each pass. Choices of font type, size, and margins were affected throughout this stage. A special shout-out of gratitude goes to my Facebook friends who voted on favorites for the title and subtitle font.

The photo shown here gives you an idea of what the pages looked like as I received each edit. If it looks blurry, then I formatted it correctly! I can’t give away too much about how that chapter begins…you’ll have to wait for the book release!

Illustration and text copyright Kimberly Novak 2022

Spoiler Alert!!!

I don’t want anyone straining their eyes to read beyond the blur; here is a little teaser for you. I am planning several more updates leading up to the release date. In addition to future updates, I will also take volunteers for a social media marketing campaign. If you are interested, please reply or click here to contact me via a contact form.

illustration and text copyright Kimberly Novak 2022

I hope I have done my job and made you a little impatient for the rest of Bella’s journey. I promise that I am equally anxious and ready to embark on the release of Bella and her friends. Not to mention all of the blessings, caves, and hidden surprises you will find as you travel with her. 

Many Blessings,

Kimberly

Meet Bella

Kimberly Novak

Bella, a beautifully colored caterpillar, enjoys time in the forest surrounded by her family and friends. One day, Bella endures a storm, so forceful that it whisks her away on an amazing adventure. One in which, friendships, light, and love rain down like blessings from the sky!

The image is the first draft of Bella before any changes or revisions. Keep scrolling and enjoy just a snippet of Chapter One.

Chapter One – Bella’s Storm

Hoping God heard her cry, she took in one more deep breath and closed her eyes as tight as possible. At the same time, a big gust of wind forced Bella to snuggle tighter against her leaf. As the thunder clapped and the winds circled, Bella hoped the tree would not let her go. The force of the wind was more than she had ever felt before. All at once, Bella’s leaf broke loose, forcing her into the air, through the park, and into the Royal Forest. Panicked and having lost complete control, Bella closed her eyes and cried until the storm and Bella finally came to a stop. At that moment, Bella feared everything she knew about herself was gone.

The storm stripped Bella of not only her colors but also her faith and self-esteem. All that made Bella the vibrant, cheerful caterpillar everyone knew her to be was lost. Eventually, Bella slowly uncurled her body and hesitantly opened her eyes. It was hard for Bella to see because there was a bright light surrounding her. Bella focused her eyes the best she could, but all that she could make out was that nothing was familiar. Exhausted, Bella whispered, “Where am I?”

“You are with me,” an unknown voice quickly responded. “I’m down here, underneath you.”

Just then, the place where Bella had landed began to move. “Oh, no,” exclaimed Bella. “I’m moving again. I don’t think I can survive another storm!”

“Relax,” replied the voice. “You are okay. You have landed safely with me.”

Bella could not imagine what she could have landed on that could be talking to her. Puzzled, Bella rolled over and positioned herself to see what was underneath her. As Bella lowered her face, the fog from the light began to move away, making things much clearer for Bella. Looking back at her were two large eyes, and attached to the eyes was a………

Okay friends, what do you think Bella landed on? Respond in the comments section.

Text and photo copyright 2022 Kimberly Novak