Waiting for Little Red Bear . . . .

June 3, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Just a quick update. As you read this, Amazon helpers are working feverishly, fueled by gallons of coffee, hot chocolate and sugar cookies, to get “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” short stories collection set to go for you.

They are busily copying, pasting and stitching together the final formats and links for the Kindle and Print versions, and trimming the seams. One of the bird images apparently slipped out of the print version last night and caused a heck of a mess flying about, but has been put back in place without further incident, thank goodness. Word is a lot of duct tape, Elmer’s glue and staples were involved overnight working to get the two formats put together. As I understand it, the staples are mostly for the various links involved, but might be wrong. I’m not really very technical.

Please stay tuned. We’re almost there. Red has been so excited the past few days he couldn’t sit down and alternated between pacing and paddling around the lake, eventually plopping down for a nap, worn out. It’s best really. Patience and bears frequently tend to travel on different roads.

So please stay tuned. As soon as the Amazon techies finish their work and we get the official okie-dokie, we will have release information and more details to share. We are so close!

Thanks as always for visiting! — Jim (and Red!)

Guest Blog- “Trees” by Neil Giles with Artwork by Emma Childs

April 16, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Sharing a delightful nature post combining original poetry and artwork from friends. This enchanting post originally appeared on my friend Sylva Fae’s blog Sylvanian Ramblings. If you love nature and children, I strongly encourage you to visit and follow her captivating blog.

The amazing “Trees” poem is courtesy of Neil Giles, and the accompanying beautiful artwork “Cyclamens at Killerton” created by Emma Childs.

I invite you to meet, connect and follow their creative works. Sylva’s delightful blog is linked above, clicking on the poem tree image will take you to Neil’s Twitter page, and clicking on the artwork will take you to Emma’s site.

Big thank you’s to Sylva, Neil and Emma for allowing me to share their magical creative works with you! I hope you enjoy as much as I did when first seeing their creations.

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear– The First Holler”

February 4, 2015 / jrmilson / 3 Comments

Announcing the official title for the first collection of upcoming Little Red Bear stories– “The Adventures of Little Red Bear– The First Holler.”

The review copy of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” came back from beta readers with very positive comments. Maybe the most heartening was that they had to continually keep reminding themselves to slow down, edit and make notes because they were simply enjoying the stories so much and reading right thru. So a snip here, a tuck there and it will be ready to go. A serious cover search is now intensified and underway! Progress on the cover will determine a release date, hopefully soon.

“The First Holler” will feature six short stories of varying lengths, plus an Introduction into the Ozarks Mountain Country world of Little Red Bear and his friends.

Meanwhile, I already have one more story than needed planned for the next collection, had another story writing itself in my head waking up at 5am this morning, and then happened across yet another story inspiration I had to sit down and make notes about before breakfast. With recruiting and interviews going on for second collection story characters, I am having trouble keeping up with it all right now.

Speaking of recruiting for new characters– a very pompous, pretentious and imperious Peacock has let it be known indirectly thru a representative that he wants to be included in the next set of adventures. It seems beneath him to go thru the normal application process however. The persnickety peacock returned a blank Story Character Application Form, with only the words “see attached” scrawled over the area for Experience and Qualifications, stapled to a head shot photo. Another item on the list of things to do.

I am having an Ostrich Crisis flashback from last year. What is it about working with large birds? Working with chipmunks is so much easier. Give them a bowl full of peanuts and they are busily happy for days!

But most immediately, the cover for “The First Holler” is the next hurdle. Will update again as soon as there is something more to report.

Thanks as always for following! — Jim (and Red!)

Peacock Headshot Submission
(“Peacock Pride” print by Angelina Vick found on Pinterest)

Story Character Casting Call for Second Collection of “Little Red Bear Stories”

January 30, 2015 / jrmilson / 5 Comments

As you may recall from the Breaking News announcement on Monday, the First Collection of short stories in “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” series was completed and sent out for beta reads a few days ago. My plan was to take a couple months off from writing to focus on new creations and store work, but it seems like everyone else wants to keep it going and get started right away on developing new short stories for the Second Collection in “The Adventures of Little Red Bear”.

Little Red Bear already signed on four new story characters this week, and more seem to be banging on the door this morning! So instead of giving everyone some time off, I decided to make it official and put out a Casting Call for new story characters, and had the receptionist start scheduling new character interviews. Since everyone is on board with it, we’re just going to go ahead and get started right away on the next set of stories and adventures. As mentioned earlier in The Ozarks Ostrich Crisis events, my receptionist is an elderly bunny who needs her job to support her large family, so better for her to be able to keep working anyway. Was going to pay her regardless, but don’t tell her that.

Interestingly, three little woodland fairies have turned in applications to appear in the next collection. Rather unfairylike, the largest of the three is very, very muddy in her application head shot photo, lists under qualifications and experience- “working in a mud kitchen”- and goes on to mention something about a peculiar, one-legged duck on her application. I was unable to read the rest because it was covered in mud. Anxious to hear more about all that and I have put a star by her name on the interview list. Sounds like a story there to me!

Little Red Bear isn’t quite so sure. After his mixed experience with a domesticated animal character in the first story collection, he is a bit apprehensive about working with another in the second set of stories. He intends to sit in on that interview, to determine if working with the mud-covered fairy also includes working with a one-legged duck. Personally, I’m hoping it does. Thinking it might be fun and have already jotted down some story notes! To be determined, I suppose. Not telling Red, but I requested she bring the duck along to the interview when it is scheduled.

And it just goes to demonstrate, Red and I never know who or what may show up at the door when we put out a Story Character Casting Call. Brings to mind the Ostrich Crisis events from the last recruiting push, as a simple process spun wildly out of control last year. So we’ll see who walks, hops, crawls or flies thru the door this time.

Speaking of which and since it is an open Casting Call, if you have a favorite animal, critter, bird, fish, wildflower, tree, agricultural crop, or whatever that you would like to have possibly appear in a future collection of stories, I invite you to mention it in the comments below. No promises, but Little Red Bear is always eager to make new friends. As you may recall, the stories are generally based in the Ozarks Mountain Country of Southeast Missouri, but we have worked with international story characters before too, once the Work Permit Visas are obtained.

Please stay tuned for more updates as the first story collection nears release, new work on the next Little Red Bear stories gets underway and new creations for the store are shared. It’s turning into a very busy year! I’m off now to interview a Porcupine. I hear they can have a rather prickly personality at times.

Thanks as always for following! — Jim (and Red!)

Waving Bear
(image found on Talking Bear, Facebook Community Page)

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Goes Out for Review!

January 26, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Breaking News! Stop the presses!

We interrupt your Monday morning reading for a breaking news story.

Huzzah and Hip Hooray! After a solid and non-stop writing push for the past several weeks to finish, the first collection of Short Stories in the “Adventures of Little Red Bear” series went out for review and beta reads yesterday afternoon! Happy Days!

You haven’t been to a hootenanny until you’ve seen a bear Texas Two-steppin’ across the floor and dancing to “Cotton-Eyed Joe!” Yee-Haw! As soon as I uttered the magical words of “That’s a wrap, folks!” – somebody switched on the music followed immediately by critters and story characters rushing to the dance floor in all directions. The dance party lasted til the wee hours of the morning and Little Red Bear is still going strong kicking up his heels around the place.

While awaiting feedback the next step is to get busy on a cover design. Hopefully, it won’t be long until the first collection is available for release.

We now return you to regularly scheduled programming. Please stay tuned to this station for more updates! — Jim (and Red!)

News Reporter Snoopy

On Rabbitbrush, Ripples, Sheriffs and Such

January 5, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Had a terrific weekend of writing. I had an idea for a story in my head for several months but it never went anywhere, very unusual for me because I am a “pantser” in approach mostly, just sitting down and writing from start to finish from an initial story concept or character name, without a lot of forethought or planning. I had the initial story idea, which is usually enough, but it never developed. After sitting down the other day with the story idea once again, the light suddenly went on and it entered that magical land where the story writes itself. Very happy with it, delighted actually, and wish I could share the story now with you. But it is to be included in the upcoming “Adventures of Little Red Bear” collection so we will all have to wait just a little longer.

Work then started on another new story late last night. So today I am working on what quite possibly could be the final story in the collection, and writing about Rabbitbrush, a featured element in the story. Love the stuff. To me, it is beautiful. It is a plant native to arid regions in the North American West and Southwest, and thrives in coarse, alkaline soil common to desert environments.

Detail of Rabbitbrush Flower Head
(Image Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Rabbitbrush is an important food source for wildlife, especially during winter months. The Zuni people of the Southwest used the plant’s blossoms to make a yellow dye, and stems for baskets. Rabbitbrush is gaining popularity now as an ornamental plant in areas where water conservation is a growing concern. In the wild, it is often found in unmanaged range lands, along roadways and in abandoned fields.

Also known as Rubber Rabbitbrush for its uses as a source of rubber dating back to 1904, it is a shrubby perennial growing in sizes ranging from 12 to 90 inches tall. It’s flower heads are comprised of five small, yellow tubular flowers appearing in clusters. The flexible stems are rubbery (hence the name) and its leaves a greenish-grey in color with a felt-like covering.

Rabbitbrush- Chrysothamnus nauseosus
(Photo credit- Wikipedia)

Having seen Rabbitbrush before in travels to the Southwest but not knowing what it was, I learned more about it from beautiful photos shared over a year ago by a great friend, the award-winning author Kathleen Creighton in California. That is how I met her, actually. She shared the photos online, I commented, she replied, and without hesitation granted me permission to use her photos. Kathleen then contacted and put me in touch with others to provide me with more information on the plant. A conversation struck up and we have been talking and great friends ever since. And now I am including it in a Little Red Bear story. It’s wonderful how it all works when one is open and receptive to meeting new people. More of that Sending Out Ripples notion.

Rabbitbrush, California Farm- October, 2013. (Photo by Kathleen Creighton Fuchs)

But, it has taken me a year to get the Rabbitbrush into a story, and I have stacked up a pile somewhere north of 1,000 story ideas and features since then. I will have to live to the age of Moses and Methuselah to get them all into stories. Since that is probably unlikely, I better pick up the pace it seems.

And in case you are wondering– “How does an arid desert plant find its way into a story about Little Red Bear and friends based in the Ozarks Mountains in the Southern Midwest?” Well, guess you will have to wait for the upcoming collection of stories to find that one out. But here’s a hint– There’s a new sheriff in town!

Wishing everyone a great day and positive start to the New Year! Break time is over and Little Red Bear is calling me back to writing so I need to go. Thanks for visiting! — Jim (and Red!)