Elaine Ambrose

Bestselling Author, Ventriloquist, & Humorist

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Independent Press Awards

“Melody” Wins Third International Writing Award

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The NYC Big Book Award® recognized Melody’s Magical Flying Machine by Elaine Ambrose as a Distinguished Favorite in the category of Children’s Fiction.

The competition is judged by experts from various aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers, and professional copywriters. According to officials from the New York City Big Book Award program, the elected award Winners and Distinguished Favorites are based on overall excellence. Worldwide submissions came from journalists, well-established authors, small and large press as well as first-time indie authors.  Entries were from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

Illustration of Melody

Melody’s Magical Flying Machine introduces a delightful 10-year-old girl who loves telling stories and dreaming of adventures. She also has Down syndrome. She meets a talking bird, and they create a flying machine using a 3D printer. To accompany the book, two toys were designed by a 3D printer in Nampa, Idaho. The book is a beginning chapter book for early readers.

Other Awards and Reviews

Earlier this year, the book also won two other international awards. The book won the 2021 Silver Medal for Children’s Literature from the Moonbeam Book Awards program. The book also was named Distinguished Favorite from the Independent Press Book Awards program. National reviews have been positive.

Publishers Weekly named the book an “Editor’s Pick for a Book of Outstanding Quality.” The review mentioned “vivid prose” and “imaginative tapestry that is Melody’s magical adventure.” The published review stated, “Melody’s ensuing adventure, while seemingly simple, is delightfully whimsical, yet still provides space for surprisingly accurate, age-appropriate scientific explanations of both Down syndrome and 3-D printers. Also included are frank depictions of Melody’s health and early challenges, including being born with a bad heart. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Melody displays an abundance of self-confidence and character. Not only is she sure of her abilities, she’s popular, has an exhaustive list of talents such as hugging and humming, and has a wide range of interests including swordplay and cute clothes. (She takes pride in demonstrating that fun and adventure have no gender.) The review concluded: “This charming flight of fancy with an equally charming protagonist will delight readers who want to be both educated and entertained.”

Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Melody’s Magical Flying Machine is a joyful, well-told story that celebrates the power of imagination. Melody is an engaging narrator whose cheerful affection, knack for happiness, and zestful imagination express themselves in every line.”

Other reviews came from five children who read the original manuscript and offered critiques. One suggestion inspired the increased presence of a little brother named Jack who tells knock-knock jokes. The book is illustrated by Idaho illustrator Caroline Zina. The paperback was published by Brown Books Kids.

Melody and JuJu use a 3D printer to make a flying machine.

The book makes the perfect holiday and Christmas gift. There are no supply chain issues because the author’s books are written in Idaho and published in the USA. Books can be ordered through independent bookstores, online, and from the author. The paperback is $7.99.  The audiobook is $6.08.  The eBook is $4.99.  3D toys of the girl and the flying machine are $4 each, available from the author.

Elaine Ambrose is the bestselling author of ten books, a viral blogger, and webinar speaker. Her books have won 12 international writing awards in three genres: humor, memoir, and children’s books. She wrote one of the most-read essays in the history of The Huffington Post. Elaine, a third-generation Idahoan, lives and writes stories in Eagle.

Melody the Daydreamer

“Don’t forget me, Sweetie Pie.”
Three 2021 International Awards for Children’s Fiction

 

 

Forget the Elf! Find Myself on Your Shelf!

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‘Tis the season to give lasting gifts, so stock the stockings with award-winning books from Idaho bestselling author Elaine Ambrose. Save a few for yourself! Shop local and order books from local bookstores. If they can’t secure books, find them online.

The new memoir, Frozen Dinners – A Memoir of a Fractured Family, debuted in November and has received 5-star reviews. It’s available from local bookstores, online, and from the author in hardcover and eBook formats.

 

 

Four other books by Ambrose have won professional praise and six national writing awards in the past four years.

 

   

Midlife Happy Hour – Our Reward for Surviving Careers, Kids, and Chaos

 


Midlife Cabernet – Life, Love, and Laughter After Fifty

 

Gators & Taters – A Week of Bedtime Stories

  • 2018 “Distinguished Favorite” for Children’s Literature from the Independent Press Awards
  • One of 50 Children’s Books Selected for Bowker’s National Recommended Reading List

 

The Magic Potato – La Papa Mágica 

  • 2018 Silver Medal Winner from the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for Children’s Literature
  • Adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education for the statewide curriculum.

 

For those in the Boise area, Ambrose is available to autograph and personalize her books. She prefers to meet at The Club at Spurwing with books and can include a holiday hot toddy.

But wait! There are more books and anthologies to view for your reading pleasure. For additional information about the author’s books, blogs, and events, see her website at www.ElaineAmbrose.com.

     

 

 

       

“Magic Potato” Wins Children’s Book Award

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The annual Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards contest has announced this year’s medal-winning books “in recognition of exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to celebrate children’s life-long reading.” The Magic Potato – La Papa Mágica – Story Book in English and Spanish by Idaho Author Elaine Ambrose won the Silver Medal for bilingual education.

Entries for the 2018 Awards were submitted from across the United States, Canada, and six countries overseas.  Moonbeam Award winners will be honored at an award ceremony November 11th at the Traverse City Children’s Book Festival in Michigan.

Authors enjoy naming characters after family members.

The Magic Potato describes the adventures of a flying potato giving rides to children as they explore Idaho. The bilingual text in English and Spanish teaches key phrases in both languages and includes numbers, colors, and days of the week. The book was adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education for the statewide curriculum and was awarded to children who won the essay writing contest at the last Idaho Potato Drop. Mill Park Publishing, owned by Ambrose, published the book and sponsored the writing contest. The book is illustrated by Patrick Bochnak and translated by Emily Nielsen. It’s available at retail stores, online, and in paperback and eBook formats.

 

Another children’s book written by Ambrose recently won a medal for children’s literature from the 2018 Independent Press Awards.  Gators & Taters – A Week of Bedtime Stories features seven original stores designed to be read aloud to children. The book is available at retail stores and online in paperback, eBook, and audiobook read by the author.

Four books written by Ambrose have won six national writing awards in the past four years, including INDIES Book of the Year Finalist. Through her children’s books, Ambrose celebrates her childhood on an Idaho potato farm near Wendell. Her nonfiction bestsellers include Midlife Cabernet and Midlife Happy Hour.

Ambrose’s memoir Frozen Dinners will be released next month by Brown Books Publishing Group. The premiere party is November 8 at Telaya Winery in Garden City, Idaho.

“Gators & Taters” Wins National Writing Award for Children’s Fiction

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“Potatoes are tasty,” Clyde said with a sigh.

“I like them much better than blueberry pie.”

Gators & Taters – A Week of Bedtime Stories is the winner of the 2018 Distinguished Favorite Award for Children’s Fiction from the Independent Press Awards. Thousands of books were submitted for the honor, but apparently the judges couldn’t resist the narrative rhythm of the imaginative stories. The Independent Press Award recognizes and honors independent publishers and authors and assists them gain more attention and to better purvey their content to a larger audience.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released guidelines that advise parents to start reading to your child from infancy. Gators & Taters features seven stories, four in prose and three in metered, rhyming poetry similar to the writings of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. The stories are designed to be read aloud to children to continue the tradition of oral storytelling and inspire them to wonder about characters, places, and adventures. No batteries are required.

During the early 1950s, Mom raised her children, babysat other kids, and worked at home at night typing reports for Bradshaw’s Honey Plant in Wendell, Idaho. My dad was a truck driver and was gone during the week, so she had to earn money to pay for groceries. She saved enough to spend $5 a month for a set of Childcraft books. She read to me every night, and I developed a passion for reading. Every two weeks, she took me to the library and my first books were about the adventures of the Bobbsey Twins and the mysteries of Nancy Drew. When I was 10 and read Little Women, I identified with Jo, the tomboy, sassy girl, and I started to write short stories.

Gators & Taters features 36 original, colorful illustrations by Idaho artist Patrick Bochnak. Meet some of the characters and stories in the book:

“Gators & Taters” features two alligators named Cleo and Clyde. They go for a ride with a truck driver named Wendell O’Doodle and escape to play in an Idaho potato field.

“The Birthday Boy” offers the poignant story from a mother’s perspective as she watches her son Adam grow up and celebrate milestone birthdays.

“Hootenflute Flies the Coop” tells the delight tale of two little ladies who lost their pet owl. The story introduces creative words, such as flamdoogle tea, crawdad bogs, and corncob cakes.

“The Secret Reading Room” describes how a girl named Amber escapes to her grandmother’s attic to read travel magazines and adventure books. In this author profile, the girl decides to travel the world.

“Mama, I’ve Had a Bad Day” tells the true story of a family in various stages of crisis and chaos. Each family member has a bad day until Mama opens the scrapbook and reminds them of happier times.

“How to Feed a Hungry Giant” portrays the tall tale of Tater McCall who discovers and feeds a lonely Giant named George. The Giant eats 50 fish, 50 loaves of bread, and a bathtub of vegetable soup.

“Biking to the Moon” is an enchanting story about Emily, a girl who magically rides her bike to the moon and meets people trapped under a curse from a nasty troll. She breaks the spell and returns home to meet a special new friend.

The book concludes with discussion subjects and questions for parents, caregivers, and teachers to share with children after reading the stories aloud. Gators & Taters is available in paperback, eBook, and Audiobook read by the author.

The Independent Press Award follows other honors. The book was chosen as one of 50 children’s books selected by Bowker’s National Recommended Reading List, selected for the Idaho Public Television “First Book” Program with statewide distribution to underprivileged children, selected for the State of Idaho “Read Out Loud Crowd” Program, selected for the Summer Reading List for the Log Cabin Literary Center in Boise, and chosen for the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program in Boise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Humor in E-Flat Alto

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Mr. Webster, the Wendell, Idaho Elementary School band instructor, lowered his baton and glared at me. I held my E-flat alto saxophone like a barrier between us and immediately regretted blaring a series of offensive noises from my instrument while he was struggling to teach us a John Philip Sousa march.

“You’re not funny, Elaine,” the exasperated teacher said to me in front of the other students.

I knew not to say anything in return, a fact acquired from far too many trips to the Principal’s Office to atone for my disruptive behavior in class. But I thought to myself, “Well, yes I am.”

One of the reasons I didn’t pursue a career in education is because I didn’t want to teach students who behaved as I did. I’m still apologizing to former teachers and school administrators, and I’m a bit nervous that a few of my granddaughters seem to have inherited my spunky spirit. Fortunately, I chose to major in journalism and started to write stories, tall tales, jokes, and irreverent anecdotes. I’ve perfected that talent over the past fifty years.


I thought of Mr. Webster June 10 when I received an award at the annual conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in Manchester, New Hampshire. The second-place honor was for my humorous essays on The Huffington Post. It’s been fun to write more than 150 articles for the HuffPo, and some of them have gone viral. I celebrated on stage and enjoyed talking with Maureen Dowd, Pulitzer Prize winning opinion writer for The New York Times.

“Wish you were here to see this, Mr. Webster,” I thought, faking an impromptu performance on an air saxophone. Maturity continues to elude me.


Proving that women over age 50 are desperate to laugh, the humor award follows another notable writing award. My latest book, Midlife Happy Hour, recently won First Place in the Independent Press Award for Midlife and was chosen “Distinguished Favorite” for Humor. I’m beyond midlife unless I live past 120, but I’m still writing and telling stories, even though sometimes my shirt is on backwards, I forget how to spell chaos, and I wear dark glasses and a trench coat in the store to buy bulk quantities of stool softener.


Joy seems to be balanced by sorrow, and the awards came during a time of emotional pain because my younger brother George died from cancer two weeks ago. He was funny and creative, and almost as obnoxious in school as I was. I intend to live every day with a sense of passion to help make up for the time he didn’t get. Now that my parents and brother are gone, there is no one left to call and say, “Look! I’m not a loser any more!”


The winning essays on The Huffington Post included my satire about my possessed friends turning into hysterical animals after the recent presidential election and the bittersweet reality of taking away my ailing mother’s car keys. They won for “Category G: Humor – Online, Blog and Multimedia Columns Over 50,000 Monthly Unique Visitors.”

 

The NSNC conference brought together friends I had met at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop in Dayton, Ohio, including Molly Stevens, Lee Gaitan, Gina Barreca, Jim Hands, and Leighann Lord. Now I have new best friends including Norine Dworkin-McDaniel and Jessica Leigh Lebos. I encourage women to attend writing conferences not only to improve their talents but to meet others who are traveling on similar paths. We may only see each other once a year, but we’re as close as an email or social media post.

My friends and family continue to provide excellent material for my books and blogs, and I hope they inspire me for another decade. When I begin to get tired, I’ll play some John Philip Sousa marches and strike up one more song for the band, one more tall tale for the blog, and one more anecdote for the book. I’m not done yet. Maybe somewhere an old music teacher named Mr. Webster is sitting in a retirement home reading my blogs. I hope he smiles.