Chris Shoemaker's Blog

Ma Maison co-owner Katie LaKamp and Chris Shoemaker

Black Friday was ushered in on what felt like a tropical breeze in Valencia, California this year.  The temperature must have hit a high of nearly 80º F!  Who could believe it was nearly December already?

Our book signing was a success with many stopping by to see what the activity was all about.   Katie and Claire set up a table outside the store (their unique way to promote anti-doorbusting I'd like to believe!) to take advantage of the...

[image error] The book signing at Greenthumb International this past Saturday (11/14/09) was fantastic fun!

I'm not sure how Bryan, Kirki and their wonderful staff keep doing it, but they make this open house event more colorful and festive each year.  This store is noted for their all out Christmas decorating and tree dressing, but this year they added a bookend walk in Christmas display near the front of the store that really boosted the store's holiday charm.

They had a wonderful signing station set up f...

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So much more than a first - rate nursery, it's becomes an enchanting Christmas must stop!

The Great Mrs. Claus Book Signing

November 14th, 2009

Saturday, 9 am – 1:30 pm

Cookies and Warm Cider will help get you in the mood.  I'll be signing and sharing stories about the book, so please stop by.

By the way, Bryan, Kirki and all the rest of the Green Thumb Staff are exceptional at helping you find what you need.  This nursery is a fantastic place to get to know year-round.  Looking forward to seeing...

What could be better than starting off the Holiday season at the beautiful and quaint village of Carmel-By-The-Sea?

On Monday, November 9th from 3 – 6 pm, I'll be signing The Great Mrs. Claus at Kris Kringle of Carmel, a most charming Christmas store tucked in the Doud Arcade off Ocean Avenue in downtown Carmel.

Shop proprietress Carol Montana and her able staff have put together a unique and tasteful selection of Christmas gifts and ornaments.  I'm delighted they will also offer The Great ...

The Mom's Choice Awards® Names The Great Mrs. Claus Among Best Products of 2009

Today is a wonderful day.  Although raining in LA, the sun is shining at the North Pole!  The Great Mrs. Claus received the Mom's Choice Gold Award and is among the best in family-friendly media, products and services of 2009.

The Mom's Choice Awards® (MCA) is an annual awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media...

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The Greenleaf Book Group based in Austin, TX now distributes The Great Mrs. Claus book for The Claus Family Christmas, LLC.

Greenleaf Book Group (GBG) is a publisher and distributor that specializes in the development of independent authors and the growth of small presses. In addition to the books they publish, they distribute select titles from small and independent publishers to major trade outlets, including bookstores, libraries, and airport retailers.

Justin Branch, Senior Consultant...

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The Great Mrs. Claus may now be purchased on Target.com! They love RED too!!

I was so surprised to read this wonderful review from "Busy Dad" in LA. It was gratifying to learn that the adults liked the book as much as the kids, since this was a true goal of mine. Afterall, we are all grown up kids who developed a love for reading and the printed story. I also was afraid to lose the adults, since I wanted to publish a book that appealed to both the young and older kids alike!

I really like...

The 2nd Annual Santa Clarita Literacy Arts Festival has all the markings of a growing into an important book fair. I imagine a thousand or so people attended, and organized so close to the holidays, I thought that a respectable showing. You could feel the hustle-bustle of holiday shopping in the air.

If you made it, a big thanks for attending this event and hanging out with a bunch of book people, hearing some festive music, funny storytellers and eating some delicious but bankable unhealthy ...

The last day of November couldn't have ended better. Ma Maison, a wonderful gift store I've been collecting glass ornaments from for years, hosted a book signing this past Sunday (Nov. 30th). Katie, Ede, Claire and her husband Gilles made the day extra special – they set the mood with aromatic candles, spirited Christmas music, fanciful decorations, scones, brownies and cookies. To top it off, they even provided chilled chocolate milk for the kids to wash down the crumbs – Katie's...