The Ego’s Playbook is written from the POV of the Ego, and it’s chock full of art. Author Pam Grout says it’s “like a picture book for adults.”
Pam wanted lots of visuals, similar to Gun Violence 101 by Thomas Gabor, PhD, which I designed and illustrated last year.
POV
THE EGO’S PLAYBOOK is written from the persepctive of the Ego. Pam wanted the art to look as if the Ego had doodled his pernicious plans as they occurred to him, on whatever scraps he could find. Paraphrasing Pam (condensing from boatloads of emails), “I want the art to look as if the Ego doodled on the back of a coffee-stained napkin.”
Artifacts
I bought a scanner (joy! haven’t had one since we moved to Asia in 2019) and spent weeks collecting bits of paper from sidewalks and parking lots, amassing a giant cluttered pile. Did my stash include bags and wrappers from chopsticks and paper straws? You know it did! Bonus points for readers who can spot them in the book.
I love reading and writing first person POV in fiction, and have a deep affinity for books like Everything, Everything (Nicola Yoon) that include artifacts created by their characters. I’ve written several as-yet-unpublished YA novels that include artifacts, doodles created by the characters in the books (but really by me, of course), so assuming the role of the Ego while drawing was easy and fun. Many of the illustrations, including this one, were thought up by Pam.
Meet the Author: Pam Grout
Pam Grout and I had not met before this project. As we got acquainted, we discovered we have loads in common. I also discovered that she is a delight. You should definitely follow her blog and read her many books.
In 2023, I was in NYC with the publisher of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, Michael Sampson. (If you don’t know Michael, look him up, he is hugely impressive!) We were walking past chic boutiques in Manhattan when Michael told me about a fashion book idea about which he’d been ruminating for years. (We also brunched at Ellens Stardust Diner, seen below, which was SO FUN.)
Because he is a super thoughtful person and also a keen researcher, Michael knew some obscure facts about my history, including my former life as a theatrical costume designer.
In that moment, a collaboration was born.
Because Michael is not only talented and prolific but also gracious, he allowed me to take his idea and write it in verse. Creating the art for this dream assignment was, well, a dream! I am so grateful to Michael and to the amazing team at Brown Books Publishing, led by the brilliant publishing maven Milli Brown. Designer Danny did an incredible job. He is a magician of typography and, therefore, is my personal hero.
Book Tour
Michael and are presently touring to promote A MAKER OF DRESSES. We visited TLA (the Texas Library Association Convention) in Dallas yesterday, which was incredible, and will be making various stops across the US next week. Follow along on our social media, and if you’re in Atlanta, Miami, Austin, or Wake Forest, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello!
Gun Violence 101: A Graphic Guide to How Gun Safety Policies Save Lives
I am pleased to announce the release of Gun Violence 101: A Graphic Guide to How Gun Safety Policies Save Lives, written by Thomas Gabor, PHD, which I designed and illustrated.
The Origin Story
I listen to the news while I’m illustrating. Two years ago, in the Spring of 2023, I was heavily involved with Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, my picture book biography of a victim of the Uvalde school shooting.
While listening to MSNBC, I heard Nicolle Wallace’s remarkable interview of co-authors Fred Guttenberg and Thomas Gabor. They were making the rounds to discuss their excellent book American Carnage: Shattering Myths About Gun Violence in America.
It was refreshing to hear clear, sober wisdom about gun violence in America. I was so inspired by the conversation, I created an anti-gun-violence social media campaign illustrating quotes by Guttenberg, Gabor, Wallace and others.
I read American Carnage and was immediately inspired. It occurred to me that all of the many shocking statistics could be shown in a visual way, similar to one of my all-time-favorite books, Steal Like an Artist.
I wrote to Fred and Tom and shared my vision for a book chock full of infograhics that would build on their masterwork, American Carnage.
Fred, whose beautiful daughter Jaime was a victim of the horrible Parkland shooting, replied that he was moving away from books; Tom Gabor, however, was interested in collaborating. Not only that, he had a similar idea. We got to work immediately.
Two years later, Gun Violence 101: A Graphic Guide to How Gun Safety Policies Save Lives is finally available from Mango Publishing. My sincere thanks to Fred Guttenberg, who wrote our foreword; to the entire team at Mango Publishing; and especially to my collaborator and friend Tom Gabor. Hopefully all of our efforts will make a difference.
Click here to order your copy from Barnes & Noble today, or support your local bookseller—if they don’t have it in stock, they can get it!
I’m excited to announce that I recently signed with a literary agent for my writing: Don Pape of Pape Commons! Meanwhile, I’m still illustrating children’s books, for which I remain happily represented by MB Artists.
I met Don Pape virtually decades ago. He was working at one of the big publishing houses, editing a book written by a friend. Don doesn’t remember me from those days, but I will never forget him! My friend shared samples of my writing with him, and he was very encouraging—so encouraging that I kept at it, through motherhood and professor-ing, through illustrating and writing picture books, and several international moves.
A Serendipitous Meeting
While on a tour for my picture book Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist in 2023, I was one of several speakers at an Author Breakfast at the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association Meeting in Denver. Don was behind me in line for the breakfast buffet. When I saw his name tag, I almost tipped over.
“You’re Don Pape!” I said.
“Yes, I am!” he agreed.
Don ended up at my table. In fact, we sat next to each other. He explained his new role as a literary agent; I explained my recent interest in writing fiction for older kids.
Since then, I’ve completed two young adult novels and am finalizing my third. Don has graciously agreed to represent me for all of them, and I am thrilled!
Finding an agent, of course, is only the first step on the road to publication. Stay tuned for news here and on my social media channels. (I’m @violetlemay pretty much everywhere.)
Are you agented, or querying agents? Share your stories, comment and questions below… and happy writing!
My latest picture book, Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, recently won several awards.
The Eric Hoffer Award
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist won the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize; click here to read more.
Reading the West
The Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s READING THE WEST competition is a people’s choice award. Thanks to everyone who voted. Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist won Best Picture Book! Click here to watch the award ceremony.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Finalist, Children’s Picture Book, Non-Fiction. Click here to see the awards catalog.
IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist won Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal for the design of the book’s interior. Special thanks to Danny of Brown Books who finessed my suggested design. Click here to see the full list of winners.
Children’s Book Council Favorite(s)
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist was selected as a Children’s Book Council K-2nd GradeFAVORITE by children, teachers, and librarians! Click here to see the complete list.
The BookFest
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist won a Gold Medal in the Children’s Historical category, and a Silver Medal in the Picture Book category of The BookFest’s spring competition. Click here to see!
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Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, a joyous celebration of art and life, is a picturebook biography of Uvalde victim Alithia Ramirez. Alithia’s artwork is included in the book (with her parents’ permission, of course). Click here to order your copy today—or, shop local! Order a copy from your local bookstore.
I am honored and completely flabbergasted to have been awarded the Hoffer Grand Prize for Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, a picture book biography of Uvalde victim Alithia Ramirez that I wrote and illustrated in 2022. Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist was released by Michael Sampson Books in association with Brown Books in October 2023. All thanks to the Eric Hoffer Award committee, the publisher, my agent, and especially to Alithia and her family.
In addition to the honor of winning and a lovely cash prize which I will share with Alithia’s family, the Hoffer committee also provided the following commentary:
Hoffer Grand Prize
The Eric Hoffer grand prize is the highest distinction awarded each year.
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, Violet Lemay, Michael Sampson Books – A life itself can be a lasting image. Alithia Ramirez loved to express herself through art and share that passion with others. In fact, “her art voice was love.” She dreamt of studying in Paris and worked hard to become a better at her craft. This vibrant picture book combines the author’s illustrations with young Alithia’s original drawings, while honoring this gifted child and the love, color, and creativity she brought into the world. It was written with the support of Alithia’s parents, who lost her in the Uvalde school tragedy. The book does not however focus on the tragedy, but instead tastefully mentions Althia’s death only in the postscript. This could simply be avoided for the youngest audience or at least presented in the way of the parents’ choosing where death is part of life itself. It’s not easy for a children’s picture book to outscore expert works of fiction or heavily researched nonfiction. This book was wonderfully arranged, poignantly delivered, and brilliantly executed.
Order Signed Copies of “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist”
Shortly after I wrote and created a sketched book dummy for “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist” in the summer of 2022, my wonderful agent Mela Bolinao of MB Artists sent it out to all of the big publishers.
A snippet of the storyboard I created for “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist.”
This real response was a typical reaction:
“I’m so sorry to say this won’t be going forward. We had quite a discussion about it, and while everyone found the book to be incredibly moving, we were struggling with how to position the book, since so much of the story’s power depends on knowing who Alitihia was… it’s a quiet book, but with this additional messaging, and we worry that retailers won’t quite get what it is or how to shelve it. But I hope Violet finds a publisher who has a vision for making this work—maybe more school library market?
I’m sad the news isn’t better, but I appreciate getting the chance to see this!”
~A Much Loved Big 5 Acquisitions Editor
Focus: Texas
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist wasn’t just any book project. Alithia’s family was involved! I knew I had to find a publisher. Mela and I researched independent Texas book publishers and I discovered Brown Books, a Dallas-based hybrid press. I queried them to get an estimate in case it came to self-publishing. I figured if all else failed, I could work with Alithia’s family to crowd-source the expense.
Brown required a physical submission, so I sent my book file to Landmark Printing in North Carolina, my go-to print shop in the US, and they shipped a bound dummy to Brown in Texas.
President and COO if Brown Books, Thomas Reale, sent me this photo of the “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist” book dummy on his desk.
On Nov 15, 2022, I received this email from Brown Books:
We are in receipt of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist and would like to talk to you regarding publication.
Please call the number below and ask for me personally.
Sincerely,
Milli
On Thursday, Nov 17, I spoke to Milli. She explained that Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist might be the perfect inaugural release for Brown’s brand-new TRADITIONAL imprint, Michael Sampson Books! No crowd-funding needed!
I Zoomed with Brown’s President and COO Tom Reale on Wednesday, Nov 22; a contract from Michael Sampson Books was sent to to MB Artists on Wednesday, Nov 23, the day before Thanksgiving. Needless to say, it all worked out. My advance and any future royalties fund the Alithia Haven Ramirez Summer Seminar Memorial Scholarship.
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It’s now late October 2023, less than a year later. Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist was released on Oct 10, and we celebrated with a launch party at the El Progreso Library in Uvalde on Oct 12.
Violet with Ryan Ramirez and Jess Hernandez at El Progreso Library in Uvalde, judging last-minute entries from Alithia’s Art Angels 2023 art contest.
After countless emails, Alithia’s parents Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez and I finally met. Which was nothing short of AMAZING.
Jess and Violet at Alithia’s mural in Uvalde, Texas.
I just finished an extensive tour to promote and celebrate the release of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist. While I was in Dallas I got to meet Milli Brown, Thomas Reale, and their amazing team. Before that, and before Uvalde, the tour took me to NYC where I met—drumroll—Michael Sampson!
Michael Sampson in NYC after breakfast at Ellen’s Stardust Diner.
It’s been an amazing whirlwind. I am exhausted but happy and am so, so blessed. THANK YOU Milli Brown, Tom Reale, and everyone at Brown Books (especially Amy, Kennedy, Sophia, Brittany and Danny); Michael Sampson of Michael Sampson Books; and of course, Alithia’s parents Ryan Ramirez and Jess Hernandez. Thank you! Thank you, Mela Bolinao! And thank you Lauren Przybyl and Fox 4 Dallas for the on-air interview .
On the set of the Dallas morning show with Lauren Przybyl.
Thanks to everyone who hosted me on my US tour, which has been the experience of a lifetime. Every librarian, teacher, and bookseller; all of my kidlit-creating colleagues; and every flight attendant, hotelier and Uber driver who has helped me along the way… THANK YOU!
Tom and me at the St. Louis Zoo. :o)
And thank you to my friends and family who hosted me along the way. My cousin Tom has been especially helpful. Thank you, Tom! 🩷💜🩷
In the process of writingAlithia Ramirez Was an Artist and creating the Alithia’s Art Angels website, I’ve become friends with Alithia’s parents, Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez. Jess mentioned wanting custom Converse, two pair for herself—high-top and low—and one pair of high-tops for Ryan. I offered to find a shoe artist but didn’t have any luck, so I decided to paint them myself.
Finding shoes was easy. The best prices were at Journeys. I found some cool rainbow-y Converse high-tops that looked similar to the endpapers in Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist (above), and bonus, they were on sale! And I Chuck Taylors for Jess, the purple for Alithia’s Art Angels.
Shoe-painting research led me to Angelus Direct, from whom I ordered all of the paint supplies, including the masking tape that I used to protect the shoes’ white trim.
I used a white fabric marker from JoAnn to draw the curly scrolls on colorful high-tops for Jess and Ryan, and then drew and cut out little templates, replicating Alithia’s drawings which adorn the endpapers. From there, I penciled Alithia’s drawings onto the shoes, and painted several coats of white before adding colors.
The trick with painting shoes—at least canvas ones—is building up the color slowly. For example, painting the white Alithia’s Art Angels logo on purple shoes shown at the top of this post required 4-6 coats of white. Patience is required!
My husband and I live in Malaysia. We’re on an extensive summer trip. I painted these shoes while visiting my Dad in Missouri, both at his house and at our hotel. It was really nice to have a project to keep me busy!
This photo (above) shows the outer side of Jess’s completed high-tops. Ryan’s are similar.
Alithia’s drawings carry over onto the inner sides of the shoes. I think they came out pretty well. They certainly look similar to the endpapers!
The Book
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist will be released on October 10, 2023. Jess, Ryan and I will be at a launch event in Uvalde…. perhaps wearing cool custom Converse! Other book events in Texas will follow, throughout October.
This past year, Jess Hernandez has become a very special person in my life. I value our friendship greatly, but I wish our paths had never crossed. We only met because Jess’s daughter Alithia Haven was murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24 last year, along with 18 of her classmates and two of her teachers.
Immediately after the shooting I created a social media campaign in response, illustrating each of the victims. Scroll back in my Instagram to see.
Alithia’s dad, Ryan Ramirez, commented on my post about Alithia. The following day, I was listening to Anderson Cooper report on the tragedy. He interviewed Ryan, who described Alithia as an artist.
I drew Alithia again, as an artist this time. The inspiration for a picture book biography about Alithia popped into my head shortly after. I Zoomed with Ryan and Jess, who agreed to allow me to write and illustrate a picture book about their beautiful little artist. They told me all about Alithia, all about her exuberant spirit, her enormous heart, and her talent and drive to become a professional artist.
Many of Alithia’s drawings and paintings—all provided by Jess via email—are incorporated into my illustrations. (Click here to see a whole bunch of Alithia’s original art.) From the start of our email friendship, Jess has been open about what she has endured since the tragedy. For example, as you can probably imagine, Jess has a difficult time being around schools. She is triggered by elementary schools, but she has two small children and cannot avoid them. On top of this, she is terrified for the safety of her children when they are at school. Just think about that, about the daily stress this mother has to endure because of the trauma she suffered as a result of Alithia’s murder.
Jess has graciously agreed to allow me to share some of her own words:
Everyday has been a struggle for me. I’m always tired where I just can’t get out of bed, I cry everyday because just having flashbacks from May 24th and it just hurts me to know that my reality is every parent’s nightmare. I still can’t believe that this is my life now and that I lost Alithia because of gun violence. I always had my children close and made sure they are safe and I couldn’t save Alithia. People that say they want to be my support but they aren’t because when I bring up anything about my daughter and why she isn’t here they just ignore me, and that’s not support. This is my reality and people need to know there is no forgetting about it because it will always be with me.
Jess has often stated that she is broken and will never be the same—and she is one of a huge and growing group of family members left behind in America because of gun violence. I will never understand why Americans have not come together en masse to demand a common-sense solution to the VERY OBVIOUS problem of gun violence within their borders. The US is only as safe as the state with the weakest gun laws.
End Gun Violence
Jess has been creating art to help herself move through her grief, including this powerful “End Gun Violence” poster. Soon, Alithia’s Art Angels will host an End Gun Violence poster contest for all kids 18 and under. Gift certificates for art supplies will be awarded. Follow Alithia’s Art Angels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so you won’t miss the announcement!
Lauren asked me all about the making of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, my picture book biography of Uvalde victim Alithia Haven Ramirez. I told her the whole story, which includes a lot of support from Alithia’s parents Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez.
The interview was arranged as a cover reveal by my friends at Michael Sampson Books, publisher of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist. Doesn’t the front cover look terrific? It was designed by the publisher.
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