A quick film update from filmmaker Ben St. James

Earlier this month, I was notified that my short film Cupid School had been officially selected for the Max Sir International Film Festival and would also be included as part of the festival’s Cinema in Schools initiative organized in collaboration with the ICJ Film Awards.

Through this program, selected films are being screened in 100 schools across Ukraine, including communities located near frontline regions. The initiative is designed to bring international cinema and creative storytelling directly to students through organized school screenings.

This is one of the photos shared with filmmakers from a screening held at a lyceum in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Seeing images from the actual screenings and knowing the work is reaching students in these communities makes the selection especially meaningful.

Continue reading “Ukrainian Cinema in Schools Initiative”

Reader Views was kind enough to give individual shout outs to me and some of the author sponsors — one of whom I got to chat with Dwayne, great guy very knowledgeable!

Looking forward to this years awards and finding out who the first ever winner of the Ben St. James Author/Illustrator award will be.

Discover The Newest Sponsored Prize At The Reader Views Fiction Awards 

This year, I am sponsoring an award at the Reader Views Fiction Awards.

The Reader Views Fiction Awards program recognizes outstanding independently published fiction across a wide range of genres, honoring work by independent authors and small presses alike. The awards encourage and spotlight quality storytelling through professional evaluation, review coverage, and award recognition.

The award is named “The Ben St. James Author & Illustrator Award.” The winner is selected from authors who both wrote and illustrated their own picture book. Early reader books, chapter books, and graphic novels in which the author also served as illustrator may also be considered.

Continue reading “The Ben St. James Author & Illustrator Award”

The article highlights how the Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town project expands from the original children’s book into a screenplay that emphasizes themes of adventure, community, and history.

You can read the full article here.

The premium edition softcover of Bam Bam the Bunny is now available.

ORDER NOW!

Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town Rides into the Spotlight as a 2026 Finalist

The CICFF is a biannual event that brings together talented filmmakers, showcasing the best in independent and international cinema while creating a rich and rewarding experience for both audiences and creators.

This is my 5th selection on Film Freeway. According to the platform that makes my work among the most selected.

Great news arrived this morning via Film Freeway. The screenplay Bam Bam the Bunny: Hole Lot of Trouble moved forward as a nominee in the 2026 Wolf Media Festival.

According to the platform this screenplay is in the upper tier of projects since gaining a 4th selection from a festival or contest.

Bam Bam the Bunny is added to 523 reading lists on the platform after launching roughly one month ago.

One user also left a memorable review I wanted to share here on the blog.

Be sure to grab a copy if you haven’t yet. The eBook is only $1.99 USD.

News from the social media front

This morning I woke up to seeing a new high for my follower count.

I am fortunate to experience continued growth on this platform. It’s one I have studied and examined a while.

It can be hard to create on social media know you don’t fit firmly in one niche and your content isn’t related to existing trends. However, there is room for more than just influencers and memes.

A big thank you 🙏🏽 to everyone who has followed and shown their support.

As Easter approaches it’s natural to see more interest in rabbit related stories

The softcover edition of Bam Bam the Bunny climbed from #9 into the Top 5 on the New Release Children’s Rabbit Books chart on Amazon Canada.

This marks the book’s first appearance on the Canadian charts, just in time for the Easter season. While Easter is often associated with bunnies and candy, its true meaning is about Jesus and his sacrifice. I think my family would have roasted me if I made the upcoming holiday about myself, my books, and rabbits.

The message of love and friendship to me works better for Valentines. Fun fact, I looked into creating promotional Valentines cards but I wasn’t finding anything I liked as far as printing options.

Perhaps those promotional materials can happen next year!

In U.S. news Bam Bam Bunny climbs back to #2 in New Release Children’s Rabbit Books.

Another update about the Cowboy Cooper Screenplay

Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town was named an official selection in the American Story Showcase we just got word today. Congratulations to the winner Casey Nolan and the other featured writers.

American Story Showcase

The American Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories, & stage plays in any genre that features a story that captures the American Spirit.

Continue reading “Cowboy Cooper and the American Story Showcase”

The latest installment in the Fuzzy Heroes series holds the top spot in New Release Children’s Rabbit books for 9 days in a row, as of February 23, 2026!

Thank you 🙏 to everyone who bought the book and left a review.

An update for the screenplay for Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town

Although the piece was not selected as a finalist I did receive valuable feedback – a written review of the script.

“Good read! I think the script was well written and presented properly. I did enjoy reading this submission. This script shows a lot of promise so I’d like to encourage the author to continue writing and submitting. I would like to see more from this author in the future!”

– Missouri Film Office: Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship Judge’s Feedback.

What’s new over on TikTok this month?

It’s been a very active 2026 for social media activity.

My vertical video “Flower Girl” brought in over 1 Million views this year. Fans who liked the video also followed.

The result so far is over 35.24 new followers decided to support me on my TikTok journey.

What an honor!

I’m definitely going to be putting more thought into my next batch of TikTok videos.

I’ve never had this reaction to my content before and this is more followers than I’ve had on a single platform.

I don’t know what to expect but it’s definitely cool to have had this experience so far.

A Quick TikTok update

It’s been a busy last few weeks with the launch of Bam Bam the Bunny, a giveaway, and Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town reaching semi-finalist status at the Chanticleer Book Awards. There has also been additional excitement surrounding my vertical drawing process videos, which are gaining attention in 2026.

“Flower Girl,” which was originally released on TikTok in 2024, has reached 1 million views as of today.

Continue reading “Flower Girl hits 1 Million Views”

The newest Fuzzy Heroes book takes the top spot in 5 categories after debuting at #2 on Valentines Day

On February 14, Bam Bam the Bunny debuted at #2 in both Children’s Rabbit eBooks and Children’s Cartoon eBooks on Amazon. Since its release, the book has continued to gain traction, and today it reached #1 in five categories, including several New Release lists.

These rankings signal growing visibility for the Fuzzy Heroes picture book series, positioning it among the top-performing children’s books in its genres.

Surpassing Established Titles

In the New Releases in Children’s Rabbit Books category, Bam Bam the Bunny displacing Unsettling Salad! (Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales!) by Aaron Reynolds, published by Simon & Schuster, which had previously held the top position.

The book also ranked above well-known contemporary and classic titles in the Children’s Rabbit eBooks category, including Too Many Rabbits by Katy Hudson, as well as The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter.

Continue reading “Bam Bam the Bunny jumps to #1 on Amazon.com”

Bam Bam the Bunny debuts at #2 on Amazon U.S.A.

As The book reached #2 in Children’s Cartoon ebooks and Children’s Rabbit ebooks, alongside Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales.

There’s no shame in being second.

Short Script becomes Official Selection in European Film Festival

Last December, I completed a short script titled “Bam Bam the Bunny: Hole Lotta Trouble,” set within the world and characters of Bam Bam the Bunny. I am pleased to share that the project has been named an Official Selection at the 2026 International Animation Festival.

This recognition comes ahead of the upcoming release of the Bam Bam the Bunny picture book, scheduled to launch on February 14, 2026.

Screenwriting has been an interest for a while and I have written and co-written pilot scripts in the past, but in 2025 I wrote short scripts for Bam Bam the Bunny, Cowboy Cooper, in addition to two feature length scripts — on top of all the other work and developments.

I’m looking forward to tuning up a script or two and writing one or two new ones. But, I’m definitely not going to push myself as hard as I did last year. Especially with another new book in the works.

I’m excited to share some great news: Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town has advanced to the Semi-Finals of the 2025 Chanticleer Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers Fiction.

The Little Peeps Awards celebrate outstanding children’s and picture books, and reaching the Semi-Finalist tier means the book has now advanced through two competitive rounds of judging. With each stage, the field narrows and I’m honored that Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town continues to stand out among so many wonderful titles.

According to Chanticleer, only one more tier—the Finalists—remains before winners are announced, fingers crossed!

The 2025 Little Peeps Semi-Finalists for Children’s and Picture Books

Enter this limited time book launch promotion.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and the release of Bam Bam the Bunny, the second book in the Fuzzy Heroes picture book series.

Bam Bam is a hero who spreads love and understanding. Although he has many super abilities, like jumping over buildings, his real superpower is listening and problem-solving. This story shows children that taking the time to listen and find out what’s wrong is the first step toward solving problems. Along the way, Bam Bam makes lots of new friends.

This will be my last Goodreads eBook giveaway. I’m going to focus on other types of giveaways—possibly still with Goodreads, but definitely on other platforms.

Enter Here!

Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the CIBAs. 

Continue reading “Chanticleer Shortlisted”