Blog Posts

Best Valentine's Gifts: Date-Night Edition

2/4/2015

The Gifted Guy is a website devoted to helping you choose gifts for the guy in your life. This Valentine's Day edition includes ideas like "gaze into the heavens, and each other's eyes." You'll need Stargazing for Beginners by Lafcadio Adams for that, of course.

The site links to a 3rd party seller on Amazon, where you can get it for $32. Or, you can search for it yourself on Amazon and pay much less. Or you can save yourself the trouble of all that, and buy it right here, direct from Idle Winter Press.

Shakespeare Illustrated

1/23/2015

Shakespeare's Complete Paragon by Laudea Martin was featured on the "Shakespeare Illustrated" list on GoodReads. You can vote for the best illustrated versions of Shakespeare's works to move them higher up the list, or add your own if your favorites aren't already there.

Rainy of the Dark Interview of Laudea Martin

7/26/2013

Author Interview: Laudea Martin
by Rainy of the Dark

Your Name (as it appears on your books):
Laudea Martin

Your Blog or Author Website (no purchase links):
http://LaudeaMartin.com

Your GoodReads (if applicable):
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6884052.Laudea_Martin

How would you describe yourself?
I’m like a deep sea fish: I keep to myself, I like the dark, and you’ve probably never heard of me.

How would you describe what you write?
So far, my “writing” has really been Shakespeare’s writing, but my illustrations I would describe as second-glance-worthy.

What inspired you to start writing your first book?
I had the idea for the illustration technique first. I’m not sure where it came from, but as soon as I had it, I just knew I needed to make a book come to life.

Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla?
Depends on the context. Chocolate for chocolate’s sake is almost always good, but I’m a sucker for vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit on it – it’s my favorite summer dessert.

What authors influence your writing?
All of them. I read anything I can get my hands on, and I get a little something from everything I read. I’m currently working on reading as many Caldecott winners and honorees as I can.

What one writing tip do you have for new authors?
Everybody’s road is different. Don’t judge your own success by the success of others.

Did you self or traditionally publish, and why did you choose that route?
I self published, mostly because I am impatient.

Do you have a blog, and how has it helped with your promotional efforts?
I do have a blog, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who reads it. It’s not very interesting.

What one thing are you OCD about, in general?
Curly quotes versus inch marks. I have been known to spend several drafts on this problem alone.

What is the most creative way you have promoted any of your books?
I have posted all of the art from my books for sale on RedBubble as postcards / t-shirts / etc.

What would you do differently if you had to start over?
Wait to publish a little longer to build some hype. I’m too impatient, though.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?
I have another book idea in the works, also Shakespeare-based, but I’d like to branch out and write some of my own.

What are the first three rules you would make if you took over the world?
1. All humans deserve both dignity and their basic needs taken care of.
2. Pursuits that further the mind / the soul / humanity are worthy of public investment.
3. Explore space more.

Readers' Favorite Review of Shakespeare's Menagerie

4/20/2013

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

"Shakespeare's Menagerie" is a delightful book that is inspired by William Shakespeare's less known phrases about animals. The author uses them as her inspiration for her book of illustration of animals. She searches through Shakespeare’s works that mention animals and gives her own interpretation by drawing them. The question, "What's your dark meaning mouse, of this dark world?", thus leads to the drawing of a mouse with two legs apart and fingers on its mouth. The next phrase is, "It is the bright day that brings forth the adder, and it shows us a seemingly smiling adder, ready to face the world." This phrase is taken from Act II, Scene I of the play "Julius Caesar", and was spoken by Marcus Brutus. All the phrases and illustrations are labeled so that the book also gives us some interesting information about Shakespeare's works.

Laudea Martin is certainly a gifted illustrator and the idea to search through the voluminous works of Shakespeare for any mention of animals as inspiration in her book is simply unique and intriguing. Her book "Shakespeare's Menagerie" is the second book in the 'Shakespeare Paragon series' and it pairs her illustrations with Shakespeare's animals, so to speak. Her illustrations are simple so that there is no distraction to the eye. What comes out is the shape and volume of the animals combined with a texture that is achieved by expertly manipulating the color tone. This is a minimalist approach that is quite successful in driving the point in a straightforward and simple way. This is a book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It surely improved my knowledge of Shakespeare's less known phrases and made me aware of the fact that there is more to the minimalist style than meets the eye. A great way to introduce Shakespeare to the kids too!

Readers' Favorite Review of Shakespeare's Zoo

4/11/2013

Reviewed by Gail Wickman for Readers' Favorite

Laudea Martin's picture book "Shakespeare's Zoo" illustrates lines from Shakespeare that mention specific animals. The illustrations are created by digitally layering colored textures. The camel, for example, appears to be made of burlap. The robin's back has a woodgrain look. Each page contains a heading giving the source of the quotation -- the work, the line and the character who said it and to whom. This book is a companion to "Shakespeare's Menagerie" and is included in the volume "Shakespeare’s Complete Paragon".

The illustrations are lovely, and the use of the textured layers makes the viewer slow down and really look. Part of the fun, after all, is figuring out where the textures come from. The book also works well as a label book for small children; they will learn the names of the various animals and have their ear tuned to poetry at the same time. The pages don't carry a story arc, however, so older children may not find it as appealing. The headings on the pages cause a couple of problems too. Since they are typographically large, they scream that they are important, yet the information they give is really only useful to people who already know a lot about Shakespeare. There isn't enough information given to provide the context for readers who aren't familiar with the work. Additionally, there is one illustration from "The Rape of Lucrece". I'm not a prude, but I wouldn't want to have to explain "rape" to my four year old.

Readers' Favorite Review of Shakespeare's Complete Paragon

4/5/2013

Reviewed by Susanna Bencen for Readers' Favorite

The children’s book "Shakespeare’s Complete Paragon" is exquisitely designed by Laudea Martin to teach many lessons and enchant a wide audience. It shows the relationship between art and text. It also builds appreciation for the paragon of animals. Above all, we can sample and meditate on the meaning behind the Bard’s words. "Shakespeare’s Complete Paragon" is a suggested classroom aid for grade 3 and up. Teachers could use this colorful book to improve writing techniques, such as using similes and metaphors or even using it to discuss the concept of inspiration. They could begin by asking: What can you see in the picture? How does it relate to the text? What was the writer trying to say by using the simile of this animal? Teacher preparation could include having the context of each Shakespearean quote ready to hand, on a kindle for instance, and reading the folk-lore of Shakespeare to gain a better understanding of the symbolism of each animal.

But there are further applications of this wonderful book. Imagine your two-year old wishes you to teach him all the animals for the 100th time. You have pronounced e-le-phant so many times that you wonder if it is really a word or not. Enter "Shakespeare’s Complete Paragon" to stimulate your intellect with classic literary texts and appease your two-year old. This could also be used as a game for adults or those studying Shakespeare. You could show the picture and the text, but hide the Shakespeare play it was sourced from. Whoever guesses the source wins. As you can see, owning this beautifully illustrated book has many benefits. "Shakespeare’s Complete Paragon" definitely deserves a place on your shelf.

The Voracious Reader Review of Stargazing for Beginners

4/1/2013

Review of Stargazing for Beginners by Lafcadio Adams on
The Voracious Reader

My Review: This is a great book for star gazers. I have always had a hard time picking out constellations but the diagrams in this book are great. I have the book on kindle now but the paperback is a must. Great to take the kids out in the yard and learn about the stars. A needed book for all shelves. I give this book a 5 star rating.

Stargazing for Beginners Giveaway

2/28/2013

Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for Lafcadio Adams's Stargazing for Beginners: How to Find Your Way Around the Night Sky! Enter to win a copy. Giveaway ends February 28th, 2013.

Shakespeare's Complete Paragon Giveaway

2/13/2013

Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for Laudea Martin's Shakespeare's Complete Paragon! Enter to win a copy. Giveaway ends February 13th, 2013.

Shakespeare's Menagerie Giveaway

2/13/2013

Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for Laudea Martin's Shakespeare's Menagerie! Enter to win a copy. Giveaway ends February 13th, 2013.