Last week, I had an opportunity to attend the North Texas Book Festival, to promote my new book, "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital." While at the book festival, I had an opportunity to network with other authors and to learn more about the publishing industry. The North Texas Book Festival was the first of many events that Kid Medic will be participating in this year. The next book festival will take place in June at the "National Black Book Festival" in Houston, TX. I look forward to seeing you there. For more information about the North Texas Book Festival, please click the following link http://www.ntbf.org/. To learn more about upcoming Kid Medic events, please log on to http://www.kidmedic.com/.
This has been an awesome week, and there is much more to come from Kid Medic! I want to personally thank you for all of your support and I look forward to the experience of watching Kid Medic grow over the next few years; I am truly blessed with a great opportunity to reach out to others in order to impact the lives of children. Special thanks to my friends, family, and those of you who have already purchased the book. If you haven't purchased a copy yet, its definitely not too late. The book can be purchased directly from the blog or by logging on to http://www.kidmedic.com/. Questions can be directed to kidmedic@ymail.com.
Kristy K. Taylor, a 2001 graduate of Pearl High School, is a health science professor at Florida's Palm Beach State College. She spent six years in the Air Force as a health care administrator. Her new children's book is Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital.
Q: What is your book about?
A: It is an exciting career day adventure for children ages 8 and older. The story has a diverse group of characters where the students in Mrs. Garcia's class visit the local hospital for their class field trip.
Kid Medic has a Splash at “Book Drive by the Pool Side”
As part of the official launch of Kid Medic, one of my goals was bring attention to early childhood literacy and the importance of career exploration education in the classroom.Today, I hosted “Book Drive by the Pool Side” at Solara at the Wellington apartment complex. I had the opportunity to meet an awesome group of kids and parents, discuss my new book “Mrs. Garcia’s Class Visits the Hospital, and to collect books on behalf of my organization, Kid Medic, to donate the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County.As a result of these efforts, Kid Medic, will be donating 50 brand new children’s books, including a signed copy of, “Mrs. Garcia’s Class Visits the Hospital,” to the organization in order to help combat early childhood literacy.For more information about the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County and to find out what you can do to help, please click the link below:
T.G.I.F! It is been such an eventful week, and I am so greatful for all of the kudos and support that I have received. As part of the on going events, I asked you to send in pictures of your future Kid Medics! And the winners are....... Julia Dean .......and her two adorable sons Andrew and Joshua!
Day 4:So What Happens After This?Up Coming Events…..
It is day 4; wow this week is passing by quickly!This is only the beginning of many things to come for Kristy Taylor and Kid Medic!We will be busy networking, advocating, writing, and promoting for the rest of the year.Take a look at a few upcoming events below:
4.4.11
Interview with Black Authors Network Radio, 8 P.M. EST, host Ella Curry.
Day 3:Kristy Taylor to Appear at the North Texas Book Festival on April 16th
On April 16th, I will be exhibiting in the North Texas Book Festival in Denton, Texas.Stop by to purchase an autographed copy of Mrs. Garcia’s Class Visits the Hospital!I look forward to seeing you there.
About the North Texas Book Festival:
“The North Texas Book Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)3 corporation that was organized in 2000 by a group of individuals, led by children's author Lynn Sheffield Simmons, to help school and public libraries and literacy programs in the North Texas area. Since its beginning, more than $45,000 in grants has been awarded to deserving programs.”
“The first festival was held in May 2001 on the Crystal Parking Lot of Texas Motor Speedway; the following year, Southlake Town Center was the venue. In 2003, the festival moved to Denton and was held in the Denton Civic Center until 2007, when it moved to its current location, the Center for Visual Arts. This spacious yet intimate multipurpose facility is also the venue for the Book Trails Dinner, which began in 2005 as a time for fellowship and relaxation with the featured festival authors, other participating authors, and the community. In 2010, due to an extraordinary response, the Festival was moved to the Denton Civic Center. In 2007, the first annual North Texas Book Festival Book Awards were presented. This award recognizes excellence in books published by their authors or by small, independent publishing companies. “
If you missed it last night, click below for your chance to listen to my Black Author's Network interview with Mrs. Ella Curry. Last night, I had an opportunity to discuss my book, "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital" with Mrs. Curry. We discussed the book and the aspirations for writing it as well as the future of Kid Medic, LLC. Please click the link below to listen:
Welcome to Day 3 of this superduper extravaganza! It has been a pleasure interacting with you so far this week! ......And now for the moment you have been waiting for.....48 hours of book nostalgia!!! You will have complete access to all 42 pages of "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital." Read it, Love it, and Share it with a friend! Show your support by leaving comments and of course ordering your very own autographed copy!
Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital Written by: Kristy Taylor Illustrated by: Ivy Marie Apa Xlibris Publishing, Inc., 2011
Ages 8-10
Paperback ISBN# 978-1-4568-7050-8
About: Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital is the first book written by author and former elementary teacher, Kristy Taylor. The book is an exciting career day adventure with a diverse group of characters where the students in Mrs. Garcia's class visit the local hospital for their class field trip. While touring the hospital with Mrs. Garcia and Dr. Johnson as their guides, the students learn about over twenty different healthcare careers, and they have lots of fun along the way!
What would a party be without fun and games? Can you piece together the puzzle below? If you are looking for additional activities, check out the free downloadable activity guide included with the purchase of "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital." Each activity guide includes coloring pages, games, career exploration resours, and a glossary. Take a look by clicking the link below: "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital Activity Guide"
Yesterday we kicked this party off with a bang! Now let's spread the word with "Tweet-Me-Tuesday. You can tweet about us, post a note on Facebook, or leave a comment here on www.kidmedic.com; whatever you decide to do post a note here letting me know and your name will be entered to win a Kid Medic prize pack!
ASK YOUR LIBRARY TO ACQUIRE MRS. GARCIA'S CLASS VISITS THE HOSPITAL!
If your library tkes online acquistions suggestions, you could email them with this or just bring the following information and ask in person:
Dear Aquistions Library,
I would like to suggest a book for purchase by our library. Here's the book information:
Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital Written by: Kristy Taylor Illustrated by: Ivy Marie Apa Xlibris Publishing, Inc., 2011
Ages 8-10
Paperback ISBN# 978-1-4568-7050-8
About: Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital is the first book written by author and former elementary teacher, Kristy Taylor. The book is an exciting career day adventure with a diverse group of characters where the students in Mrs. Garcia's class visit the local hospital for their class field trip. While touring the hospital with Mrs. Garcia and Dr. Johnson as their guides, the students learn about over twenty different healthcare careers, and they have lots of fun along the way!
This week if you "like" Kid Medic on Facebook, follow Kid Medic on Twitter, and join our mailing list, your name will be entered to win a Kid Medic gift pack. To "like" Kid Medic on Facebook simply click the link to the right of the page. Also, if you mention this week's launch party on Facebook or Twitter to your friends and family, leave me a comment below for another opportunity to win!
Join author, Kristy Taylor, for "Book Drive by the Pool Side!" Stop by the patio area of the Solara at the Wellington apartment complex from 5:00-6:30 P.M. on April 8th to drop off new children's books or monetary donations to purchase children's books. All books will be donated to the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County to benefit local area residents. All participants will have their name entered to win a Kid Medic prize pack! You will also be able to pick up pre-ordered, autographed copies of, "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital." While no books will be for sale at this event, you may purchase your discounted copy for pick-up or delivery.
Also, don't forget to join in the fun as we celebrate Kristy's book release as well as the official launch of Kid Medic! You can join in the festivities by logging on to www.kidmedic.blogspot.com, April 4-10, 2011.
This week in order to celebrate the official launch of Kid Medic and release of "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital," I be giving away 3 Kid Medic Prize Packs valued at $50.00!
Each Kid Medic Prize Pack includes a(n):
Autographed copy of "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital"
Kid Medic t-shirt
Kid Medic coffee mug
Kid Medic pen set
Kid Medic bookmark
So how do you win?
All week long we will have fun and exciting contests, each time you participate, your name will be entered to win one of our fabulous prizes!
Facebook: Like Me or Not Contest
Tweet Me Tuesday
Kid Medic Friday
Also, each time you leave a comment on this blog or our homepage your name will be entered to win.
Below are the answers to some of the top 10 questions that you may want to know about my writing experience. If you have an additional questions, please feel free to post a them in the comments section and I will be happy to answer them for you!
Answers to the top 10 Questions that You May Be Pondering!
1. Tell us about yourself. What is your background in and your current occupation?
I am currently a full time health science professor at Palm Beach State College in FL. I have worked in healthcare for several years and a majority of that time was spent serving on active duty in the Air Force. After I left the military, I taught 4th grade Math and Science for two years in Brackettville, Texas.
2.Tell us about your book. How did you come up the story and what inspired you to start writing?
My book is called “Mrs. Garcia’s Class Visits the Hospital.” I was actually inspired to write the book after having a discussion with my 4th graders about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Brackettville is a very small community and most of the time students that young can only respond based off of their experiences. All of the students in Brackettville were a great group of kids, and I wanted to do something to encourage and inspire them in the same manner in which they inspired me as their teacher. Since I have always loved career exploration and had experience working in healthcare, I decided to focus my writing in this area.
3. What was the hardest part of the writing process from start to finish?
Believe it or not the story came very easy to me. Prior to writing the story, I had a discussion with my peer teachers, Lauren and Cheryl to let them know what I had plans to do. As usual, they were always very supportive and encouraging, and I brought back a completed manuscript with an illustrated PowerPoint about two weeks later. The hardest part has been the actual publication process, since I self published. I thought that it was a great experience, but I was very detailed about the entire book. Since this is a representation of me, and I am dedicating it to the students I use to teach, I wanted it to represent all of us well. I wanted people from the community or anyone else reading this book to be able to see the focus on content and detail even in the illustrations.
4. What sort of research did you do for this book?
Most of this book was written based on my personal experience as a Healthcare Manager. I did use a few online sources such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, but I wanted to make sure the book was written with my primary target age in mind. Most of the students who will be reading the book range from ages 8-10. I provided plenty of resources for teachers and parents in the supplements and on my website. There is also a glossary included in the book.
5. How do you get ideas for characters? Are they based on real people or made up? What advice do you give aspiring writers?
As mentioned earlier, I was inspired to write this book from interacting with my students. The story is fictitious but some are the characters are loosely based on the students that I use to teach. I thought that it would be great for them to have something to read where they can actually see themselves as a part of the story. I also feel like it is important for those students to know that someone out there is consistently thinking about them and rooting for them to have a great future as they grow older.
6. Where do you foresee your writing career in the future? Do you plan to continue publishing?
I definitely plan to continue writing and publishing! In fact this whole thing has become bigger than I already ever thought it would. I know that I am being led to do this, and will continuously keep God first as I continue to move forward. I hope to continue growing as a writer and eventually evolve into public speaking.
7. What’s the best thing about being an author?
The best part is feeling a sense of accomplishment because your work is out there and you truly believe that it can be used to make a difference.
8. What impact would you like to make through your writing? How do you plan to reach out to others?
I plan on using my books to promote childhood literacy through career exploration. I am already planning to partner with several organizations and begin speaking about the issue. I will be donating copies of my book, speaking, helping to raise money, volunteering, and having regular contests on my website to promote the importance career exploration literacy as well. You can check my blog, www.kidmedic.blogspot.com, for continuous updates about these issues.
9. How did you come up with the Kid Medic concept?
I came up with Kid Medic as a result of venturing into writing children’s books. I plan to continue to write, publish articles, and speak on health science career exploration, the importance of parental and teacher involvement in the career exploration process, and the role of career exploration in literacy development in the future. In fact, I will be speaking at the National Black Book Festival in Houston, TX this summer on this very topic. Again, you can check my blog or website for continuous updates about these events.
10.Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
Right now, I am in a book club but with my schedule, I have not had a chance to read as much anymore. I listen to a lot of audio books via my iPod. When I was a child, I loved to read. I remember my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Wigglesworth reading books like Wayside Stories from Wayside School and poetry books like Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. In fact I have that book on my shelf right now; it was given to me by one of my mentor teachers when I first started teaching 4th grade. I believe that is important to start exposing children to reading concepts as early as possible, that time spent is well worth it, and you will definitely be remembered for it.
Do you have a question or comment? Please fee free to post your questions and comments and I will be sure to reply throughout the week!
I am so glad that you took the time to stop by! This week is going to be filled with fun and interactive events, where you can win all sorts of fabulous Kid Medic prizes! Feel free to invite your family and friends to participate in all of the festivities!
Event Schedule:
Monday's Events:
Time to Mingle: An interview with Kristy Taylor
Radio Interview with Black Author's Network
Like Me or Not Facebook Contest
Tuesday's Events:
Tweet Me Tuesday Give Away
Wednesday' and Thursday
48 Hours of Book Nostalgia- Stop by and read a free preview copy of "Mrs. Garcia's Class Visits the Hospital," download the free sample activities, and access the official teacher's guide.
Kid Medic Friday
Email pictures of your your child dressed as someone in the medical field or playing with "doctor" for a chance to win! All pictures will be featured on the Kid Medic blog. Pictures can be sent to kidmedic@ymail.com.
"Book Drive By the Pool Side" at Solara Apartment Complex, Wellington, FL from 5 to 6:30 P.M. EST
Saturday:
Contest Winners Announced
Sunday:
Grand Finale
Also, in addition to these events log-on for exciting tidbits and articles throughout the week.
