Meet Me, Deborah Miller, and View Illustrations From My New Book, The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree

You can find my book at Amazon available on eBook or in print-on-demand. Click here.

 

 

 My New Children's Book, The Little Bear

and the Lollipop Tree

My new can now be printed on demand. For just $2.99 you can order the eBook
here to see if you like it. If you enjoy the colorful illustrations and the bedtime story, the print-on-demand version is just $7.99.

Here are a couple of sample pages for you to see. My bio follows the sample pages.

Deborah Miller is a retired commercial artist, former Art Director of automotive magazines and Operations Manager of a wristwatch magazine.

She's an artist who has been commissioned to produce a variety of art. Several of her art pieces are displayed on print-on-demand products that she has sold all over the world. She has won contests for her designs and her writing.

Deborah spent the first 15 years of her life on a farm in Kansas but then moved to Lawrence, KS, with her mother who was a High School English teacher.

She has two children, three brothers, one grandchild plus four step-grandchildren. She's the aunt of five nieces and nephews, and great aunt of one.

She wrote her first short story when she was 14 and has dreamed of writing books ever since.

Children's Book: A Great Gift for Kids

It's finally published and up on three book sites now. I'm so excited.

Let me introduce The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree. I hope you consider purchasing it for your 3 to 5 year old. It's available for $2.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Soon, it will be available on Google Play Books.

 Another Dream Come True

I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish hanging on my closet door. The list wasn't anything too far out of reach. I didn't include wanting to be a millionaire (because I don't really want to be one) nor did I include travelling to Scotland (where my ancestors are from) and staying in a luxury hotel. My - we'll call it bucket list - was simple.

I wanted to write songs. I wrote one for my brother converting the letters of his first name and that of his bride's into music notes. For instance, the letter K converted to a musical note would be F on a music scale. It was my wedding present to them.

I wanted to sell my paintings and get commissioned. It happened to my delight. I also wanted to sell my art on products available through print-on-demand. I currently use Zazzle and have been categorized as a "Bronze Pro". I've sold assorted products in several countries in Europe and to someone in Australia, and - of course - the U.S.

I've entered writing and art contests and won prizes.

But the biggest of all my wants on my bucket list was to write and sell a book. Well, I've written it and it's in the midst of being published on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as an eBook. It takes three days to become live on their websites, so I don't have links to either yet. Below is the cover of The Little Bear and the Lollipop Tree.

I still have a few more publishers to upload to, but it's a chore. It isn't as easy as bloggers make it sound and believe me, I've read a lot! You have to jump through hoops providing a W-4 and other personal information. But that wasn't my problem.

'Just upload your book and earn money' is a load of crap. Well, except for Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon has its own free book-making software you can download. It was easy to upload my illustrations and paste in my text then hit "publish".

Barnes & Noble was another story. It took two long days of trying to accommodate their requirements. The problem was my book is illustration heavy. That means if your book is text only and created in Word, you'll have no problem. If you want pictures, you're better off creating an EPUB. Did I mention Barnes & Noble doesn't accept PDFs? And, they don't have their own software like Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing.

The end of my story (because I don't want to make this too long) is that I spent over 17 hours figuring out how to turn my PDF into an EPUB. (Barnes & Noble doesn't recognize Amazon's book version.) Oh, it's done. The configuration isn't exactly the way I want it, but it's on its way to being published.

Sadly, after it's published, I need to make a correction. One of their mandatory questions I had to answer was "Contributor" with no clear explanation of what that even meant. I took it to mean who helped me with my book, so I included my brother's name because he proofread it. Turns out that they listed him as the author and when I tried changing the name in the "Contributor" section, I couldn't because it was currently under way of being published. At this point, I'm banging my head on my bed's headboard.

Maybe one day I'll blog about the assorted software different bloggers (who make themselves out to be experts) convinced me to use and that turned out to be utterly useless.

Still, another of my dreams has come true! How exciting is that?

 

 Earn a Little Extra Money

Face it, prices have sky-rocketed over the past few years. It's become a bit harder to make our dollars stretch especially for us seniors whose Social Security checks and retirement savings are minimal. For example, today while grocery shopping I took a look at a package of six boiled eggs. The price was nearly $4.00! It wasn't long ago that I could buy that same package of boiled eggs for under $3.00. On top of the rising prices of groceries, my auto insurance went up a whopping 60% from 2021 to now. After I panicked, I began to take action. Along with cutting down on my driving (I'm retired) I also cut out some grocery staples and treats then I began looking into ways to earn a few extra dollars.

First up, I opened a Zazzle account. Zazzle is a Print on Demand site that you can join as an associate/affiliate. You don't have to be an artist. Instead, you'll refer and sell other people's products to earn a commission of 15% which is a pretty nice commission. It's pretty simple to sign up and Zazzle is there to help. What benefits you, benefits them. How to Join the Associates Program – Zazzle Help Center.

Once I set up my account and was assigned an associate ID, I found popular products that I liked and began sharing links on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and my Google Blogger account. Most people I've noticed don't have a blog or a website but only use social media for their referral links. Within two months, I made my first sale. The next month I made two sales. That may not sound like much, but it takes a bit to rise from nothing and – honestly – every little bit helps. For the Referral Program, the minimum pay out is $50 by check or PayPal. Zazzle Royalty and Referral Percentages – Zazzle Help Center.

Along with the Referral Program, I signed up for Refer-A-Friend program (Zazzle Refer-a-Friend Program – Zazzle Help Center). For every qualified friend or family member, you'll receive $25 to spend at Zazzle. I'm thinking Christmas, birthday, and other holiday gifts for any reward I may receive. As well, your friend or family member will also receive a reward. That's it. Easy peasy.

 Best Selling Invitations in my Zazzle Store, Visages Gift Store

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to share with you some of my best-selling creations on Zazzle, a print on demand site like Vistaprint and CafePress. Invitations of all sorts are my best-selling products on Zazzle, and I love designing them for different occasions. Whether it's a birthday party, a wedding, a baby shower, or a graduation, I have something for everyone. Check out some of my favorites below and let me know what you think!

People love vintage pictures

Reunion Dinner Picture Invitation
by Visages

This is an actual 1950s picture of some of my family that I had no idea would be so popular. When I started Zazzle in 2011, I was creating anything and everything in order to earn money. I had no clue what would sell. At nearly 1,200 printed copies, this reunion invitation is the best-selling invitation in my store.

Cowboy Snowman Christmas Party Invitations and Christmas Cards

Cute Folk Art Cowboy Snowman Christmas
by Visages

Coming in at number two at just over 1,000 printed pieces are my Cowboy Snowman Christmas cards and invitations. I came up with the idea of a cowboy snowman while dating a Texan ten years ago. I've been creating them nearly every year since.

Bridal Shower Invitations

Green Victorian Flourish Filigree Bridal Shower
by Visages

Nobody can go wrong selling Bridal Shower invitations.

 A Dream Come True

 

This little girl was created in chalk pastel over watercolor wash on watercolor paper.

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share with you my journey as an artist. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an artist. I loved drawing, painting, crafts, and anything that involved creativity. I spent hours and hours practicing my skills and learning from other artists. I never gave up on my dream, even when it seemed impossible.

After years of work, my dream came true. I started to get recognition for my art and people started to buy it. I was amazed and grateful that people appreciated my work and wanted to support me. Now I sell art all over the world. I have customers from different countries and cultures who enjoy my art. It's such a rewarding feeling to know that my art can touch someone's heart and make them happy.

Painting created in acrylic on canvas.

I'm so thankful for this opportunity and for all the people who helped me along the way. I hope to inspire other aspiring artists to follow their dreams and never give up. Art is a beautiful way to express yourself and connect with others. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more updates on my art!