Sneak Preview of The Ruby Red Slippers, now with "Inside the Book" on Amazon.com

Now when you pull up The Ruby Red Slippers, by DeeDee Fox, on Amazon.com, you can view a preview of the book through their "Inside the Book" feature.  Follow the link below to view The Ruby Red Slippers:
http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-Slippers-Dee-Fox/dp/1609760069#_

And, if you are a fan of The Ruby Red Slippers, don't forget to leave a positive review.
Thanks!


The Ruby Red Slippers
by DeeDee Fox
www.rubyredslippers.org

Author, DeeDee Fox, receives grand welcome from Bonsall Elementary School!

I would like to extend a very heartfelt thank-you to the PTA, staff and students at Bonsall Elementary School in Bonsall, California.  During a recent trip to the school, I was presented with numerous cards, letters and posters welcoming me to the school. 

I only wish  there was room to display them all on this site, but in the interest of time and space limitations, I am posting a few of my favorites here. 

But to ALL the students and teachers who went to such incredible lengths to make me feel so welcome. 

THANK YOU!

You all have made my heart soar with your very kind words and your lovely pictures!

Author, DeeDee Fox, meets young girl who was inspiration for The Ruby Red Slippers

The book, The Ruby Red Slippers, by DeeDee Fox, was inspired by a true story in which a little girl outgrew her very special sparkly red shoes.  In real life, the little girl's name is Madison Isham.  After growing out of her shoes, Madison gave them to her friend, Tatum MacLachlan, (the author's niece). 

While the story has been changed somewhat, the message which inspired the book, The Ruby Red Slippers, remains: When you share with others, good things come back to you.

Recently, the author had the opportunity to visit Bonsall Elementary School, in Bonsall, California, where she met Madison Isham for the first time. 

Author, DeeDee Fox, with her niece,Tatum MacLachlan, (left) and Madison Isham (right)





The Ruby Red Slippers, review by Forrest W. Schultz, "one of the most beautiful [books] I have ever seen"

The book under review is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and it contains one of the most delightful and meaningful stories I have ever read. It will be especially appreciated by girls because the main character is a girl, with whom it is easy to empathize. The title refers to a pair of shoes which a girl, Mia, receives from her grandmother, which appear to have magical powers, greatly enhancing Mia's ability to dance, which she loves to do. When she sadly outgrows the shoes, she comes to realize that "the magic in her shoes came from the wearing of them. It seemed a selfish act to put them on display when they were meant to be worn, rather than viewed from afar." So, she gives them to her friend, Tina, whose feet are smaller and thus fit perfectly into them. There is also a magic in this giving, as Mia learns. For this reason, this book would make an ideal Christmas gift for a young girl. - I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Forrest W. Schultz





The Ruby Red Slippers, by Dee Dee Fox
www.rubyredslippers.org

The Ruby Red Slippers - Presented to the International Market in Germany!

Here's a copy of the sell sheet used to promote

The Ruby Red Slippers

at the International Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany:

The Ruby Red Slippers, by DeeDee Fox - Reader Views - reviews by kids, for kids

Reader Views - Reviews by kids, for kids.

Reviewed by Zoey Crane (age 6) for Reader Views (10/10)

“The Ruby Red Slippers” is a wonderful book about receiving a precious gift that makes you feel special and then having to give it up when you outgrow it.

Zoey:
“I loved this book. I love to dance and wear twirly dresses and sparkly shoes. I have a red pair just like these and they are so much fun. When Mia‟s feet get too big for the shoes she gives them to her friend. Then she notices someone is moving in next door to her house and outside she finds a box that says "Free to take." If you are nice to people and share, nice things happen.”

Nana:
“The Ruby Red Slippers” was a wonderful book about treasures and outgrowing them only to share them with friends. Zoey loved it because Mia loved to dance like she does.
 
The Ruby Red Slippers
Dee Dee Fox
Eloquent Books (2010)
ISBN 9781609760069

www.readerviewskids.com

Book Signing - The Ruby Red Slippers - Borders, Rapid City, SD

Our next book-signing will be held at Borders in Rapid City. Saturday, November 13 from 3:00 to 5:00PM. If you weren't able to make it to the last book-signing (or even if you were), we invite you to join us. Bring a friend, bring your daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, and God-daughters. This book is making a splash, as young girls everywhere are enjoying what has been dubbed "a book that belongs in every little girl's home library" The Ruby Red Slippers!


The Ruby Red Slippers, by DeeDee Fox
http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Author, DeeDee Fox at International Book Fair, Frankfurt, Germany

DeeDee Fox, author of The Ruby Red Slippers, at International Book Fair, Frankfurt Germany

As they say, a watched pot doesn't boil.  With that quotable quote in mind, our publisher is still following up on the Beijing Show, as well as the Frankfurt show.  But there has been some interest in my book for international publishing rights.  Of course, that brings another overly used cliche to mind...  - Don't count your chickens before they hatch.  Regardless, this is very exciting news for us!  We'll keep you posted as things progress.

A special thank you to the Alex Johnson Mercantile, downtown Rapid City, for hosting our first book-signing on domestic soil.  What a great event, with incredible support from so many people here in Rapid City! 

Our next book-signing will be held at Borders in Rapid City.  Saturday, November 13 from 3:00 to 5:00PM.  If you weren't able to make it to the last book-signing (or even if you were), we invite you to join us.  Bring a friend, bring your daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, and God-daughters.  This book is making a splash, as young girls everywhere are enjoying what has been dubbed "a book that belongs in every little girl's home library" The Ruby Red Slippers!

The Ruby Red Slippers
http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Chickens and Tractors and Cows, Oh My!

Chickens and Tractors and Cows, Oh My!

by Dee Dee Fox

I was one of those little girls; the kind who never liked to get dirty, and always preferred wearing fancy dresses and shoes, accessorized with little purses and frilly hats. I loved to play dress up and I loved pretty things. Almost as much as I loved these things I always dreamed of living on a farm. You know, chickens and tractors and cows; Oh my!!

Many years have gone by. I have since married the man of my dreams, and together, we built a lovely house in the country. I'd long since forgotten about my convoluted dreams of living on a farm. But somewhere along the line, we decided all those free-range eggs we were buying at the grocery store were really not free-range at all, plus they were far too expensive. And well, the organic milk we were buying... same story there. So my very sweet, occasionally eccentric, hubby agreed to a little farming experiment, much akin to that of the whole Green Acres experience.

We decided we needed to start with a milk cow. I read up on cows and did my homework. The more we learned about cows, the more my husband started coming up with reasons why we really didn't want to get Mrs. Butterworth, (yes that was going to be the name of our enchanted milk cow). So, for the time being I agreed to hold off on adopting a cow. ~ All I can say about that is thank God! Then came chicken research, which breeds are best layers, which sort can be cantankerous, because let's face it, no-one wants a cantankerous hen! And then... my husband came up with one of his brilliant thoughts.

Let me just preface this by saying that when our family goes out for ice cream, each and every member of our brood gets the largest size serving, whether they want it or not. You see, my husband is a 'numbers guy'. Because it only costs twenty five cents more for a large ice cream than a small one, you're really getting a better deal with the large. Never mind the fact that our extra twenty-five cents worth of ice cream ends up giving someone a belly ache. - That's the same mind-set my hubby had when he reasoned that 25 chickens are just as much work as 5 chickens. So... our little farming experiment grew... and it grew.

At first, we housed our 25 chickens out in the barn (yes we also have a barn, and tractors, but that's another story). All those cute and fuzzy little baby chicks were so incredibly adorable! That was, until I learned just how much excrement 25 baby chicks could produce in a single day. - Now, in case you're wondering, let me just tell you; based upon simple mathematical principles, I can undoubtedly attest that 25 chickens are not as easy to raise as 5 chickens. Yeah, well... live and learn.

As our sweet little chicks outgrew their temporary home in the barn and were literally ready to "fly the coop," my hubby began researching chicken coop designs. After attempting to make sense of the highly debated and profoundly contradictory research available on how best to house hens, he finally came up with a plan. One day as I glanced out my kitchen window, in a combined state of shock and awe, I saw the beginnings of what would soon be the "Taj Mahal" of chicken coops. Let's just say that, a small family could probably live fairly comfortably in this structure. So now, realizing that this hen house will be the view out my kitchen window for quite some time, (or for as long as we can stand this little farming experiment) I came to the conclusion that we really must decorate this 'quaint' little structure. So, our eight year old daughter and I scoured our favorite flea market and other fanciful haunts until we had accumulated a treasure trove of lovely items (or according to my husband, junk). Several gallons of paint, and many hours of sweat equity later, we had completed our chicken coop project.

Now, fourteen weeks into our farming experiment, we are all a little older, and considerably wiser. I have since learned that you must tread lightly when entering a chicken coop. Never mind the occasional, (or not so occasional) droppings scattered here and there. Because weeks earlier, having thrown caution to the wind in a moment of what, in retrospect, was sheer insanity. I had tossed my cantankerous vs. pleasant list of hens into the circular file, resolving to buy only the prettiest varieties (yeah, I'm all about pretty). After experiencing my own personal version of an Alfred Hitchcock scene from The Birds, I fully understand the meaning of the phrase 'hen-pecked'. Some of my very dear friends, understanding my love of pretty things, helped me find some fabulous couture galoshes. Now those pesky little ankle-biters have a fairly rough time getting past the heavy gauge rubber of my ever-so-lovely boots.

Of course, 98 days into this little endeavor (but then, who's counting?) we've gone through truck-loads of building materials, piles of paint and paint supplies, not to mention hundreds of pounds of chick feed, feeding equipment, and so on, and have yet to see a single egg.

All in all, I think I can safely say we're well on our way to saving a boat-load of money on our free-range eggs. And if ever this whole chicken thing grows old, we can always turn the coop into a bed and breakfast. Who knows, I might be on to something there. - I'll keep you posted!



Dee Dee Fox, an Arizona native and long time resident of Rapid City, South Dakota is a freelance writer and national public speaker who has worked in the publishing industry for over fifteen years. Having first begun her writing career as assistant editor for the Country Register in Phoenix, Arizona, she went on to publish the first Country Register of South Dakota, which she later sold and is still in publication today. She also started two other successful magazines from the ground up, including Mud Pie Parenting Magazine.


Ms. Fox is the author and illustrator of The Ruby Red Slippers, a children's picture book about a little girl and her magical shoes. To obtain a copy of The Ruby Red Slippers, visit Dee Dee's website at www. rubyredslippers.org

Internet Talk Radio Interview - The Ruby Red Slippers

Click on the link below to tune in and listen to DeeDee Fox, author of "The Ruby Red Slippers" talk about her book, her illustrations, and the inspiration behind her writing.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/strategic-book-club/2010/09/14/dee-dee-fox-author-of-the-ruby-red-slippers

The Ruby Red Slippers Video Trailer

You can view the newly released Trailer for
The Ruby Red Slippers now at:
The Ruby Red Slippers Trailer


For more information about The Ruby Red Slippers,
visit: http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

The Ruby Red Slippers at the International Book Show in Beijing, China

This was the sell sheet used at the International Book Show to help promote our book in Beijing, China

The Ruby Red Slippers
by DeeDee Fox
http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Now available on Amazon.com - The Ruby Red Slippers!

To order your copy of The Ruby Red Slippers, you may click, or cut and paste on the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-Slippers-Dee-Fox/dp/1609760069/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1283376542&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Remember, if you'd like a signed copy of The Ruby Red Slippers, you can order directly from the following link:

http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE RUBY RED SLIPPERS 9/01/10

THE RUBY RED SLIPPERS

Kudos to the new children’s picture book, The Ruby Red Slippers. 

Mia receives a new pair of shoes from her grandmother, which she believes possess magical powers. When she grows out of her ruby red slippers, she realizes the magic of her shoes comes not from possessing them, but from wearing them. Mia ultimately gives her beloved shoes to a friend, and when she does, something truly magical happens!

“The Ruby Red Slippers is the delightfully believable and enchanting story of a girl who learns the joy of giving, and in the end, of receiving. Lovely illustrations transport readers as they envision Mia and her magical red slippers. Little girls and their moms will surely find this a wonderful addition to their libraries.” – Barbara Floyd, Founder and Publisher of The Country Register, a chain of newspapers across Canada and the USA

THE RUBY RED SLIPPERS (ISBN: 978-1-60976-006-9) will be available on August 25, 2010 for $16.50 and can be ordered through the publisher’s website:

http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheRubyRedSlippers.html

Or at www.amazon.com or http://search.barnesandnoble.com

Wholesalers please email BookOrder@AEG-Online-Store.com

About the Author: The Ruby Red Slippers is written and illustrated by Dee Dee Fox, a mother of four who lives on a farm in rural South Dakota with her charming husband, their youngest child, who has yet to leave for college, a loveable dog named Ace, and too many chickens to count.

Strategic Book Group
P.O. Box 333 Durham, CT 06422
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/
http://www.StrategicBookMarketing.com
http://www.strategicbookgroup.com/

How to request a copy of The Ruby Red Slippers at your local library:

Did you know that in most cases, a library will order any book you request if it is not already in their inventory?

Please read below for details on how your library can obtain a copy of The Ruby Red Slippers:

Libraries can order directly from the publisher (at a 50% discount from list price) via email to: bookorder@aeg-online-store.com

When asking your library to send a book order to this email, please remind them to include:


a) Title of book: The Ruby Red Slippers by DeeDee Fox,  ISBN 978-1-60976-006-9
b) Quantity
c) Phone number and email address for any order questions

d) Full and Complete Street Address for proper for shipping
e) Upon receipt of the order request, a payment invoice will be sent to the retailer as an attached pdf. Please allow at least 3-4 days for the invoice to be sent to the retailer by our Book Order Team. This invoice must be paid prior to the order being submitted to our printing facilities for printing.

Payments may be sent via PayPal, credit card information sent by secure fax, or mail a check/money order.


DeeDee Fox
Author and Illustrator
The Ruby Red Slippers
http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Cause for CELEBRATION - The Ruby Red Slippers Release Date Has Arrived!

Well boys and girls... that day has finally come... and gone. 

You know, that momentous day we have all been waiting for, yeah, that day.

I had somehow expected a little more pomp and circumstance, perhaps a cymbal or two.  But the day on which I received notice I could begin ordering my book, it somehow seemed as though there was more to it than just that.  So I waited. (Well, of course I placed an order of my books to start fulfilling all your pre-orders)  But other than that, I just waited.  Then today, I received a notice from my publisher stating that the release date for my book was 08/25/2010.  Hmmm... well, that day has already come and gone. 

Had I fully comprehended the magnitude of that day, I might have poured myself a glass of champagne, or done something to celebrate.   Regardless, The Ruby Red Slippers has been released!

That means, our book will soon be available for purchase through online outlets, and hopefully at a bookstore near you!!

That also means that you can request a copy of The Ruby Red Slippers at your local public and school library effective immediately.  (I'll post details on how to go about doing this at a later time).

So now we have something new to look forward to.  (This time I'll have the champagne chilling in anticipation).  - Next up - Arrival of the finished product in print. 

I'll keep you all posted!!

Best to everyone!

For more information regarding
DeeDee Fox
author and illustrator,
The Ruby Red Slippers
visit: http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

The press proof for The Ruby Red Slippers has arrived!!

The press proof has arrived!  -  The final version of The Ruby Red Slippers has been approved!! - The next step is to start printing and distributing our book!!!

It's been a long journey, and I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever actually see this day. 

We'll keep you posted on the release date, which should be very, very soon now!

On another note... The Ruby Red Slippers is on its way to Beijing.  - The Beijing Book Show is just days away, and we are hopeful that our book will generate some interest in the China market.   So say a little prayer that I don't turn blue, because I'm going to be holding my breath on this one!!

For more information on The Ruby Red Slippers,
written and illustrated by DeeDee Fox,
please visit our website at http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Beijing Bound!

Our book has completed yet another phase of the lengthy process of becoming available to the consumer.  We are still on target for all our deadlines in order to have The Ruby Red Slippers available for purchase by the end of July or early August.

And now, more exciting news for The Ruby Red Slippers.  Our book will be presented at the Beijing Book show this August.  This show is newer than many other international book shows, but it has already become one of the largest bookshows in the world.  - Now that it is required for all children in China to learn English, there is considerable demand for children's books that are written in English.  This should position us well for lots of exposure in a market which is ripe for the picking.

For more information on The Ruby Red Slippers, written and illustrated by DeeDee Fox, visit her website at http://www.rubyredslippers.org/

Our First Book Review!!

The Ruby Red Slippers is the delightfully believable, and enchanting story of Mia, a little girl who learns the happiness of giving, and in the end, of receiving. She values old and new friends in the process. The lovely illustrations transport readers, as they envision Mia and her Ruby Red Slippers and all the joy her magical shoes bring her. Little girls and their moms will surely find this a wonderful addition to their libraries. ~ Barbara Floyd

Barbara Floyd, founder and publisher of The Country Register, a chain of newspapers across Canada and the USA for specialty shops and events. www.countryregister.com

For more information about The Ruby Red Slippers, written and illustrated by Dee Dee Fox, visit www.rubyredslippers.org

We're getting closer!!

Pre-production on the Ruby Red Slippers is now concluded. Yeah!!

From here, we will continue through to the text blocking process with our Print Manager. Once the text block is completed and approved, we will be informed of the retail price for the book.
- At this point, the art department will create a Galley Proof.

Phew... so that's where things stand right now. The marketing department is currently working on a press release. So, it's finally starting to feel like we might have a book soon! Woohoo!!

For more information on the Ruby Red Slippers visit:
http://www.rubyredslippers.org/
or
http://www.wildflowerpress.org/

Once the book has been released, you will also be able to find us on our publisher's website:
http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheRubyRedSlippers.html
We'll let you know when this site is live.

One more item checked off our list!

The edit is completed. We are now finished with this stage of the process and will soon be pairing text with the illustrations. It won't be long now before The Ruby Red Slippers will be available online, at bookstores, and ultimately on your book-shelf at home!

For more information on The Ruby Red Slippers, visit:
www.wildflowerpress.org

Slower than molasses in January...

The process of getting a book published is, as one might imagine, a slow one. We have completed the critique, and are now working on the edit. The illustrations have been completed, and revised. There are a number of steps remaining before we see a blue-line proof. Then we hurry up and wait some more. We're still on target for a mid-summer release date.

For more information on "The Ruby Red Slippers" please visit
www.rubyredslippers.org

Houston - We have "Contract"

The contract has been signed with our publisher and we will soon be working on the final editing, tweaking of illustrations, etc. We have roughly five months to final count-down when "The Ruby Red Slippers" will be available for purchase.

For more information on "The Ruby Red Slippers" please visit
www.rubyredslippers.org

Estimated Date for Ruby Red Slippers, July 2010

Things are progressing smoothly and it appears we will soon be publishing the Ruby Red Slippers. At this point, we have nearly finalized the contract with our publisher and it appears our book will be on the shelves by the end of July (2010). The Ruby Red Slippers will be available on Amazon and Google Books as well as other typical book outlets. We'll keep you posted!

For more information on the Ruby Red Slippers visit:
www.rubyredslippers.org

We have an offer on the table to publish the Ruby Red Slippers!!

This is very exciting news for us! We just received an offer to publish the Ruby Red Slippers! We will need to review (scrutinize) the offer before we proceed. But at this point, it looks promising, and we are very pleased to be at this stage in the process! We'll keep you posted as things progress!!


To learn more about the Ruby Red Slippers, you can visit:
www.rubyredslippers.org