I recently sat down with Feathered Quill to chat about Guinea Pig Power, my journey from ghostwriting to accredited author, and what’s next! I shared how a guinea pig rescue inspired the story, the challenge of creating the book and it’s upcoming sequel.
Check out the full interview on Feathered Quill for more behind-the-scenes details!
Continue reading “Feathered Quill Interview”
To celebrate my live author reading at Everest Value School as part of their Literacy Workshop, I am giving away my debut book “Guinea Pig Power” this weekend. Its free on Amazon KDP.
Click the link below.
Exciting news for Guinea Pig Power! My debut children’s book has been named a Finalist in the Feathered Quill Book Awards in the Animal – Children’s and YA category!
It’s been an incredible journey bringing Fuzwald and Rex’s adventure to life, and I’m beyond thrilled that their story is resonating with readers and award committees alike. The Feathered Quill Book Awards recognize literary excellence, and it’s an honor to see Guinea Pig Power recognized alongside other outstanding books.
Continue reading “Guinea Pig Power Named a Finalist in the Feathered Quill Book Awards!”
Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town was such a fun read! What better way to educate children about the importance of historic preservation than having Cowboy Cooper learn the hard way the negative ramifications of taking historic artifacts for his personal collection rather than leaving them in place for all to enjoy and to learn about the past. Ben St. James is to be lauded for finding a relatable way for children to engage with historic preservation! This book should be required reading for all of the children and grandchildren of the members of my association. I look forward to being able to provide this book to many of the elementary school teachers that I know.
Continue reading “Cowboy Cooper Review by Historian Travis Boley”I admire Cowboy Cooper for his passion, determination, and adventurous spirit—qualities that can inspire other children to take an interest in history and explore their surroundings with curiosity and respect.
Luwi Nyakansaila Readers’ Favorite
Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town is a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Ben St. James. It follows Cooper McGee, affectionately known as Cowboy Cooper to his family and friends due to his love for the Old West. One day, Cowboy Cooper’s teacher introduces the class to an abandoned ghost town near his family’s farm. Excited about the possibility of exploring, Cowboy Cooper decides to search for treasures in the town. Although his classmates try to discourage him by saying it would be wrong to take historical artifacts, he remains determined. After school, Cowboy Cooper rides out to the ghost town, hoping to find some cool treasures. However, he soon discovers that the town is not only rich in history but also offers valuable life lessons.
Continue reading “Readers’ Favorite Review Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town”Guinea Pig Power and these other titles have made the short list and are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2024 Little Peeps Book Awards competition for Children’s Fiction!
Continue reading “The 2024 Little Peeps Awards Short List for Early Readers and Children’s Books”
Right from the start, you hear and see the rhyming of the words and can’t help but fall into a sing-song cadence as you read along.
Disrdstang for LitPick
Fuzwald and Rex, two adorable guinea pigs, live an ordinary life with their family by day, but when night falls, these two furry companions turn into superheroes because of special food the family feeds them, Guinea Pig Power Chow. The family thinks they are feeding them healthy, delicious food, but unbeknownst to them they are actually feeding them superpower food which helps Fuzwald and Rex turn into caped crusaders. They help kittens stuck in trees and even stop angry squirrels from brawling with each other. Does their family ever realize they have two special superheroes in the family?
Continue reading “Lit Pick Review: Guinea Pig Power”
The team at Story Monsters was kind enough to put me on blast – in a good way by sharing a photo of me holding my winner’s certificate with their social media community.
Find out more above this live appearance
I was invited to join Everest Value School for a special reading event for students and parents Saturday January 25th. This literacy event will include educational activities related to reading and writing, as well as a giveaway.
For more information check out the poster below.
The Royal Dragonfly Book Awards is an international contest that celebrates excellence in books across a variety of genres, including children’s literature. Open to authors, illustrators, publishers, and self-publishers, the program welcomes entries from any publishing year, ensuring a dynamic range of submissions.
Books are judged on their content, originality, readability, with an emphasis on creativity and innovation. The panel of judges includes teachers, librarians, and subject-specific and industry experts, making this recognition truly meaningful.
I’m pleased to share that my latest book, Cowboy Cooper, earned recognition in two categories! The book received an Honorable Mention in Picture Books 5 and Younger and took home 1st Place in the Western category. Cowboy Cooper & the Ghost town is the first children’s picture book to win or be recognized in the category.
Continue reading “The Royal Dragonfly Book Awards recognizes Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town”I hadn’t done a drawing prompt in a while because I was so busy putting the finishing touches on some other projects and promoting “Guinea Pig Power”, but I wanted to finish off the year participating in one more #scbwidrawthis
I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday.
Sincerely,
Ben St. James
I got to visit the Ansel Adams gallery and Yosemite National park this weekend.
Below are some pictures from the trip.
I made sure to sign the guest book.
I’m thrilled to have made the Long List for the Chanticleer Book Awards. It’s an honor to be featured alongside so many outstanding authors and their incredible books.
View the full list here.
SCBWI loves celebrating members’ successes and noteworthy news, and there are many! Read on to find out who’s got something to shout about. Digital high-fives welcome in the comments!
Guinea Pig Power was featured in the news round-up for this quarter, celebrating the September 1st Readers Favorite win. Read more here!
My journey has taught me to stay adaptable and always learn from each step.
Ben St. James
Shoutout LA is part of the Los Angeles based Voyage Group of Magazines and their flagship publication, VoyageLA was started in 2015. Since then they have grown to almost a dozen cities, generated millions of page views and helped tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and creatives share their stories.
Find out what Shoutout LA asked and what I had to say below.
The next installment in the Fuzzy Heroes universe will dive deeper into the themes of friendship & heroism — while teaching young readers to embrace each other’s differences & get along.
Stay tooned for more information.
Guinea Pig Power has been recognized as the Runner-Up Winner in the Children – K-3rd – General Genre category at the 2024 PenCraft Book Awards for literary excellence! This award is especially meaningful because it highlights stories that resonate with young readers and exemplify quality and creativity.
I wanted to share this low-fi analog film 🎞 photo from Bodie California a real life ghost town.
Visiting ghost towns in the U.S. is a lot of fun and always educational. I’ve been to a few and they all helped inspire my story “Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town”.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween, whether you are trick-or-treating with family and friends or staying in and watching a spooky movie.
Sincerely,
Ben St. James
There is a brand new giveaway for the month of October
To celebrate the recent award win from Readers’ Favorite “Guinea Pig Power” is now included in the monthly giveaway on the platform. Click the link below to enter!
October Surprise! New Book Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town
After a long night of registering works, I’m excited to announce the launch of my latest book, Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town! This story follows a young boy named Cooper, whose love for the Wild West has earned him the nickname “Cowboy Cooper” from his family and friends.
After school one day, Cooper sets out on an adventure to explore a nearby ghost town, hoping to find treasures to share with his class. However, he soon discovers that the town’s past inhabitants aren’t entirely gone and learns an important lesson about preserving history.
Due to the unique print specifications of this project, Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town is available exclusively through Lulu Press. Grab your copy today!
Today, Guinea Pig Power was honored with an Honorable Mention in the Children – General category at the Readers’ Favorite Awards. This is the largest competition the story has been featured in so far. I’m grateful to be acknowledged alongside so many talented authors.
Readers’ Favorite offers five award levels in each category: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honorable Mention, and Award Finalist, with the first four categories named as winners. This year’s contest saw a record number of entries, featuring participants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.
Readers’ Favorite is owned and operated by authors for authors. Our staff and nearly all our 1,000+ reviewers are authors who have come together to provide fellow authors with a valuable set of resources to help them succeed.
Continue reading “Country Mama with Kids: Spotlight Review Feature”Happy Reading Y’all, you will LOL with this book and love it!
Country Mama with Kids
In anticipation of spooky season and back to school time, here is my #drawthis entry for July/August.
Guinea Pig Power Reaches #1 on Amazon in Canada and the USA as top a free eBook.
Guinea Pig Power has reached #1 in two categories on Amazon in both Canada and the USA, thanks to our recent Amazon KDP Giveaway.
Guinea Pig Power has engaged readers with its funny story and cuddly characters, earning top spots in the Children’s Cartoon Books and Children’s Super Hero categories. Parents, aunts, and babysitters who received promotional copies via KDP and Goodreads have left positive reviews on both platforms.
If you received a free copy don’t forget to leave a review as well!
The response has been fantastic, and I appreciate the support from everyone who participated and shared the promotion.
Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for being part of our community!
CAN Amazon Kindle
U.S.A. Amazon Kindle
Thank you to everyone who entered to win 1 of 100 free “Guinea Pig Power” ebooks in my first ever GoodReads giveaway.
982 readers joined to win and a few were savvy enough to find the KDP Giveaway link on my profile. If you weren’t selected in the GoodReads giveaway there is still time to claim a free “Guinea Pig Power” ebook on Amazon.
https://a.co/d/fTjgn0o
Be sure to leave a rating and review on Amazon if you can. That helps a lot!
Check out the link below to get a free Guinea Pig Power eBook.
Please be sure to leave a review after downloading and enjoying the eBook.
It’s important authors reach a certain number of reviews to be seen as “worthwhile” it’s sad but true.
Remember, your words are currency and provide value to creators.
Feel free to print and share these as much as you like! With family, friends, and even classrooms.
This is free to use as long as the QR code is attached. Please respect the fact that it is a promotional item and if a certain amount of attention isn’t brought to the book and certain metrics aren’t hit there won’t be opportunity or incentive to create more.
Thank you!
Ben St. James
Special giveaway celebration. Enter now to win a free copy of Guinea Pig Power!
The promotion runs from June 25-July 25 2024.
by Shannon Carrington
“Guinea Pig Power,” the latest children’s book by author and illustrator Ben St. James launched here in North Hollywood this month! The charming and heartwarming story follows the adventures of Fuzwald and Rex, two ordinary guinea pigs by day who transform into unlikely superheroes by night. With a special lab-made treat, they tackle daring missions, rescue kittens, and maintain order in their tiny world. Their story, told in delightful rhymes, is sure to tickle your funny bone and warm your heart, reminding us that even the smallest among us can be the mightiest heroes
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