Happy National Rain Day Everyone! Put on your galoshes, pop open your umbrella and get ready to talk with Rosie J. Pova, the author of Sunday Rain. 

Sunday Rain is the tender story of Elliott, who has just moved to a new neighborhood. Shy and not quite sure how to make new friends, when it starts to rain, he dives into a make-believe world with his new neighbors. They row to an island, take on a dragon, and meet a princess. With echoes of Where the Wild Things Are, this sweet story blends real and imaginary worlds in the most beautiful way. Sunday Rain, illustrated by Amariah Rauscher and designed for children ages four to eight, reminds us that imagination has the power to bring friends together.

 

---

            Sunday Rain        

Written by Rosie J. Pova, Illustrated by Amariah Rauscher

Elliott has just moved into a new house. He spends his days with his fictional friends, immersed in a book. When an inviting Sunday rain gathers the local kids to play in the puddles, Elliott longs to join in, but he’s too shy to go outside. Soon, Elliott discovers that new friendships are like a new book―you just have to plunge into the adventure.

“While a storm rages on the other side of the ship curtains at his bedroom window, Elliott buries himself in a book. A princess endlessly fights a dragon and a watercolor sea keeps ‘swallowing the royal boat,’ with Elliott at the helm. Later, he peeks out shyly at two puddle-jumping children on the sidewalk. ‘Make some friends while I finish unpacking,’ his mother urges. He joins them with a toy boat. Soon the S.S. Elliott is life-size, the puddles are an ocean and the dragon is a kite. Elliott’s new house feels like home.”―The New York Times Book Review, 8 Picture Books about Imagination and Identity

---

Sunday Rain is Rosie’s third picture book, following Sarah’s Song and If I Weren’t With You. Each story is filled with a lot of heart and aligns with Rosie’s philosophy that “sometimes, all you need is a good word. The right word to make you soar!”

When Rosie’s not working on her own books, she teaches writing in Texas, where she lives with her husband and three children. Rosie joins us today to celebrate National Rain Day and tell us What Was On her…

List of Favorite Rainy-Day Activities: reading, crafts, cooking, watching a good movie.

Mind When Writing Sunday Rain: lyrical text, adventure, imagination, timeless experiences, the smell of summer rain, introverts.

Last School Visit: I was treated like a celebrity―the PTA had decorated the auditorium beautifully with balloons, and they had also made me a special paper-mâché of an open book that doubled as a thank you card. I still have it displayed face-out on my bookshelf!

March 26 Issue of The New York Times: It was such a thrill to find out that my book was featured in The New York Times! I jumped up and down and did a happy dance―it came unexpectedly, but was really a dream come true. That week on Sunday (March 28) I drove all over town trying to find all the Sunday editions of the newspaper in Dallas and buy them. LOL. I now have the article framed on my wall and a few extra newspapers in my stash. ☺

Top Tips for New Writers: Read a ton of recently published books in the genre that you want to write in, invest in your craft―workshops, conferences, mentorships etc., join a critique group, and also, find your community… it’s so important to have support in this business.

Refrigerator Door: I don’t have anything on my refrigerator door, but I do have a couple of vision boards and a box where I collect inspirational quotes, goal cards, and affirmations. 

Mind These Past Weeks: Acquisitions ;), new submissions with my agent, marketing (as always), school visits, my upcoming book THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE: A STORY ABOUT SUCCESS, upcoming events I’m taking part in, writing workshops that I’m teaching, the usual daydreaming, and also wondering which one of my stories would be my next published book.

Thanks so much, Rosie! Thank you for stopping by on this rainy day. And thank you for the special giveaway you are offering everyone!

In celebration of National Rain Day, Rosie is giving away an Echo Dot Alexa to one lucky winner! To enter, head over to Twitter and…

• • follow her
  • tag a friend
  • retweet

For all the details, click HERE. Good luck to everyone!

---

You can stay in contact with Rosie J. Pova at rosiepova.com, on Twitter @rosiePOV, on Facebook @rosie writes and on LinkedIn at Rosie J. Pova.

If you would like to order Sunday Rain, click on the book below.

---

Stop by again on August 19, when Vivian Kirkfield will join us for National Aviation Day and talk about her book From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves.

If you would like to know more about me and my writing, please visit sandranickel.com.