Yvette Phillips hosted her Book Launch on Saturday 12/1/18, and what an amazing event that was. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to interview the newly published author and get my copy of her signed book. This was not the traditional book launch that I expected. Upon arrival guests were encouraged to sign on Yvette’s poster which would later be her souvenir in remembrance of her Epic Book Launch Party. The Event was well organized by Yvette’s Business Coach, Shaneika Burchell-Kerr.
The room was beautifully decorated by her close friends Doreen and Auntie Peaches. The ambiance was calm, welcoming and peaceful. Andrea Groves prayed an amazing opening prayer of blessing for Yvette and all hearts were warmed.
We waited anxiously to see what the agenda would bring. There were word scramble games for the adults to engage in, and drawing and coloring activities for the kids. All the games and activities were associated with the new book "The Tale of Princess Alicia." A signed copy of the book and Believe in Yourself Bracelet were awarded as prizes to the winners.
The highlight of the evening was the interview segment led by Shaneika Burchell-Kerr, Yvette's Business Coach. First, she interviewed the publisher Dr. Melissa-Sue John from Lauren Simone Publishing House. Melissa mentioned that The Tale of Princess Alicia was the most anticipated book launch for her publishing company. "This is the 10th book to be published by our company. Not only is it our 10th book, but this is our 1st chapter book!" Melissa said with such pride and excitement.
The Illustrator Simmone-Anais Clarke and her brother Zachary-Michael Clarke were also interviewed. Simmone is a 17 year old teenager who is very gifted in her art of choice. She has been doing illustrations since she was 6 year old and Zachary since he was 3 year old.
The celebrated Author/Entrepreneur Yvette Phillips was saved for last. Yvette shared her journey on becoming an Entrepreneur and a published Author. She began writing her story nine years ago. Yvette answered multiple questions that were submitted by the audience. Her inspiration to become an author materialized when she started telling made up stories to her son Matthew when he was a baby. Matthew is now 15 years old and is very proud of his mom's achievement.
Yvette shared passionately about her challenges on her journey. "There were times when I didn’t feel the urge to write, I had to remind myself that I had a goal in sight and the book needed to be completed in order to achieve this goal." Yvette shared. Yvette also said that she encourages herself by reading about other people’s struggles and how they overcome them. She observes others around her, uses their experiences to grow and tries not to make the same mistakes.
After working with Verizon Wireless for 17-years, Yvette was laid off in October 2016. Two months after she was laid off, she decided to focus on her love of writing and completed her book. With the assistance of her Business Coach Shaneika Burchell-Kerr from Breakthrough to Entrepreneur Academy, Yvette started her online business Padymart.com. She has now integrated her book into her online store.
At PadyMart you will find the latest Trendy kid’s fashion for your little ones. We are dedicated to parents who seek the latest adorable fashion for their kids that will make them stand out. PadyMart values your child’s education and development. That is why we also dedicate an entire collection of books and educational toys to assist parents in the development process of their child’s social and emotional skills and more.
The Tale of Princess Alicia is also offered as a bundle. The bundle includes: Encouraging Words Bookmarks: There may be times when they are feeling down, they can memorize the quote they have chosen and encourage themselves. Believe in Yourself Bracelets: Teaches a child or even an adult to remain positive in all things and never to think less of themselves. Challenging Cubes: This teaches our kids, that no matter what challenges they face, they should never give up.
"What advise do you have for others who wants to write," Shaneika asked Yvette. "Always journal your thoughts. It is important, because sometimes you may have a thought but you don't remember it at a later date," Yvette encouraged. Yvette also mentioned that she uses the notepad App on her phone regularly for easy access.
What was the most fulfilling part in writing this book? With a twinkle in her eyes and a big smile on her face, Yvette said, "When I wrote The End." Even though this is not the end of her writing career, it was a major accomplishment completing her first book.
If you missed the book launch, you may still purchase a signed copy of The Tale of Princess Alicia or the entire bundle below.
Continue to follow Yvette’s journey by subscribing to her email list and receive 15% off your first order at padymart.com.
VOTE OF THANKS FROM YVETTE:
Thank you to my church, Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, for providing the accommodation for me to host my event.
Thanks to Claudette for the wide assortment of refreshment.
Thanks to Doreen and auntie Peaches for the beautiful decorations.
Thanks to my Business Coach and Friend Shaneika Burchell-Kerr for hosting this successful launch.
Thank you to my publisher Dr. Melissa-Sue John for her professionalism and patience with me during this process.
Thanks to my amazing illustrator Simmone-Anais Clarke for these lovey pictures that brought life to my story.
Thank you to my husband Ivan Phillips, my son Matthew Phillips and my mother Edna Duncan for their unwavering support.
Thank you to all my family and friends for believing in me.
2 comments
I love the book, so full of life! My favorite part was the plot twist at the end and my daughter just loves it! Now she likes to pretend that she’s princess Alicia whenever she is playing dress up with her stuffed animals.
Wow! The Tale of Princess Alicia has been published and what an amazing story it is. Every page read allowed me to become more eager to see what was coming next. The various sub-topics brought a picture to my mind before actually reading them. Its an amazing book for teachers to put in their Reading Corner. This book not only lends itself to reading but also to vocabulary building. Great job Yvette!