
About

The Green Ember by S. D. Smith, illustrated by Zach Franzen
$21,908
577
"A captivating story with sword-bearing rabbits, daring quests, and moments of poignant beauty, The Green Ember is a tale that will delight and inspire young readers to courage and creativity and would make a perfect book for a family to read aloud."
- Sarah Clarkson, author of Read for the Heart and Caught Up in a Story
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****NEW UPDATE: The Green Ember Audiobook****
Since we've surpassed our goal, we've been able to add recording an audiobook to our plans. We're thrilled that Joel Clarkson will be performing. We're giving it to everyone at the $50 level and above. We hope to deliver it around Christmas 2014.
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About The Green Ember
Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.
Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.
Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?
About S.D. Smith

S.D. Smith lives with his wife and four kids in West Virginia, because it would be weird to live with someone else’s wife and four kids in West Virginia or anywhere else, right?
Sam is an award-losing author of published short fiction. He was somehow a 2009 West Virginia Fiction Award finalist for a humorous short story about a fake town in the very real state of West Virginia. He lost spectacularly in the final round. He has also had non-fiction and poetry published.
Sam has been fortunate enough to share speaking sessions alongside authors N.D. Wilson, Andrew Peterson, Sally Lloyd-Jones, Sarah Clarkson, and Clay Clarkson, along with other amazing people. So impressive.
He enjoys his family, soccer, and reading. And he loves narrowing down his passions to three things.
About Zach Franzen

In seventh grade a kid behind Zach in music class reached into a ziplock bag of pencil bits and threw some pieces at his head. Zach whipped around and threw his pen at his assailant. It turned once in the air and stuck in his forehead. True story. An onlooker, desiring to confirm what he witnessed, repeated twice, “It stuck in his head.” These days Zach seeks to use the pen, pencil, or brush to create images. Hopefully, these images might have force enough to stick in the heads of those who see them.
Zach lives in Greenville, SC, with his family in a house with a lawn that he tries to cut regularly so as not to embarrass the neighbors.
Zach creates covers for books and albums, fashions editorial illustrations, and is working on a picture book that S.D. Smith calls "the greatest picture book in the history of the entire world and/or universe—if not better."
About Story Warren
Story Warren's aim is simple. We are allies in imagination. We do that in several ways at our site: engaging posts to inspire parents in creativity, fostering imagination, and wonder; resources and reviews to help parents find great books, music, and art for their kids; and illustrated shorts aimed to delight children.
We host a conference called Inkwell for inspiring and equipping creative kids.
This is our first book.
About the Rewards
The First Three Chapters
You'll get the first three chapters of The Green Ember as a PDF download, as soon as they're available.
The Green Ember eBook

You'll receive the complete book in ePub, Kindle, and PDF format as soon as the files are completed. You'll be able to read it wherever those files are supported.
The Green Ember Paperback

You'll receive a copy of the trade paperback printing of The Green Ember. It features over ten illustrations from Zach Franzen inside.
The Green Ember Hardcover

You'll receive a signed copy of the hard cover printing of The Green Ember, cloth bound with a full color, glossy dust jacket.
Poems for Kids and Other Dangerous Creatures Who Read eBook by S.D. Smith

You'll receive this short collection of poems from S.D. Smith in ePub, Kindle, and PDF format as soon as the files are completed. You'll be able to read it wherever those files are supported.
The Black Star of Kingston eBook by S.D. Smith

You'll receive this novella set in the world of The Green Ember in ePub, Kindle, and PDF format as soon as the files are completed. You'll be able to read it wherever those files are supported. The Black Star of Kingston features illustrations from the author's son Josiah C. Smith.
The Black Star of Kingston Hard Cover (Special, Limited Edition)

You'll receive a signed copy of the hard cover printing of The Black Star of Kingston in a printed case presentation. Only 200 copies of this edition will ever be completed. Each will be numbered and signed. The Black Star of Kingston features illustrations from the author's son Josiah C. Smith.
Signed, Numbered Art Print from Zach Franzen
We're creating 5 x 7" reproductions of 4 different illustrations from the interior of The Green Ember. Each beautiful print will be signed and numbered by the illustrator. Suitable for framing.
Pixie Number Six eBook from Zach Franzen

A PDF, Kindle, or ePub version of artist and author Zach Franzen's whimsical Pixie Number Six.
Signed, Original Art from Zach Franzen
A rare opportunity for collectors. We're offering four of the original pieces of art from The Green Ember. Wonderful for framing, beautifully done.
Risks and challenges
The books listed as rewards are all completely written and are currently in the final stages of design. We have production facilities scheduled based on our expectations, but as with any Kick Starter project, should we be successful beyond our wildest imaginations, we might face production delays beyond our current forecasting ability.
The publishing staff for this project brings over 25 years of publishing experience to the table. From editorial to design to production and fulfillment, they have worked in all phases of book publishing.
S.D. Smith has written numerous published short stories and articles. This is not the first novel he's written, but it is the first one we're bringing to the world.
Zach Franzen is a working illustrator, not just someone off the street. You can see more about him here: http://atozach.com/ . His client list makes us look like small potatoes. We're glad to call him a friend.
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Funding period
- (31 days)