I DON'T WANT TO KISS A LLAMA! TO OPEN IN CRESTWOOD COURT MALL
With the recent events in the economy it may seem an odd time for anyone to be opening a new store but that's exactly what Jefferson County poet Byron von Rosenberg is doing. Named after his “personal best seller“ I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! offers an exclusive line of Byron's poetry in several formats: in his books, as Christmas cards, on CD, framed and matted, on T-shirts, and on coffee mugs and posters. A special new item is I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! the mistletoe edition which is a “coloring book to keep.“ It affords children and their families the opportunity to co-illustrate the book and to start their own story. Other items include related plush toys, puzzles and gift items.
Visitors to Grant's Farm, the St. Louis Zoo and Branson are familiar with Byron's books already thanks to his many successful signings. From such places, Byron's books have traveled all across the country and to nations around the world.
“The store is a credit to my wife Sharon and the dream she had several years ago to start our own store,“ says Byron . “With Grant's Farm not having their holiday program this year, we decided to go ahead. Crestwood is a natural place for us to have a store because it is so close to Grant's Farm and so many of the friends we've made.“
A grand opening weekend was held on Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2 with “free chocolate llama kisses“ and door prizes. For more information on the books or the store, go to www.idontwanttokissallama.com or call Byron von Rosenberg at 866-SEA-GULS..
BEAUTIFUL UNICORN CLYDESDALE BOOK IS AN “UGLY DUCKLING“
It's an age old story of two ordinary friends who see the extraordinary in each other and wind up making each other's dreams come true. Told in anime-like pictures by English illustrator and artist Heather Parrott, Byron von Rosenberg's new book, Dale the Uniclyde: An Adventure in Friendship connects with the soul much like “The Ugly Duckling“ by Hans Christian Andersen. Told in rhyming verse, the story narrates the life of Dale, a unicorn Clydesdale born with wings far too tiny to fly whose unique qualities are only appreciated by a lowly stableboy. The results of their friendship, however, are joyful and true, and leave the reader with both a smile and a tear, and perhaps a remembrance of the special friends in his or her own life. It is a coming of age poem that all ages will enjoy, and would be an excellent Christmas or holiday present for elementary and middle school students.
Dale the Uniclyde is Byron's sixth book, and combines themes from his first two books of inspirational poetry, Don't Feed the Seagulls and Climb the Red Mountain with his popular children's books, I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! and Thinking Upside Down. It also adds a new element, the artwork by Miss Parrott, which make the book unique among Mr. von Rosenberg's projects.
“I had begun to draw the pictures,“ Mr. von Rosenberg says, “but the style that is so successful in I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! really doesn't work well for Dale. My son, Ryan, had come to know Heather on the internet and she made some beautiful drawings of unicorns which my wife and I fell in love with, so we asked her to draw all the pictures. It took some time because she is still a student at Lincoln University in England, but you'd think she'd been drawing professionally for years from the pictures! I love how the pictures start in browns and grays, and turn suddenly to clear, bright colors as Dale 'gets his wings.' It is a beautiful story well matched by the illustrations.“
The story was born at Grant's Farm in St. Louis when a guest asked Mr. von Rosenberg for directions to the Clydesdale barn. As he responded, Byron handed the man a poem from Thinking Upside Down called “Leading the Unicorn“ and the connection was made. And to recognize that connection, Byron will be introducing Dale to St. Louis with signings at Grant's Farm beginning the day after Thankdgiving and continuing throughout the holiday season. All of Byron's books are available through his website at www.idontwanttokissallama.com and may be purchased or ordered at local book retailers. Those interested in contacting Miss Parrott may do so through her website www.sugarcatkitty.deviantart.com .
Dale the Uniclyde is the first of many projects that Byron hopes to use to introduce new artists and photographers to the public through a new company called Uniclyde Discovery (TM).
“It is very difficult to get the name recognition you need to be a success in the publishing world, and I have been so blessed not only to write these stories but to find places to share them. I know there are so many talented people out there who need a chance to put their name on a special project. We hope to help some of them by providing the 'scripts', my poems, as a basis for drawings and pictures. We'll use them in books and on cards, and hopefully give someone a chance they otherwise would not have had. People who are interested should contact me through my website. Uniclyde Discovery is our way of making the story come to life by helping someone else achieve their dreams.“
Dale the Uniclyde will be available in area bookstores beginning in early November and signed copies will be available at Grant's Farm at Byron's signings there. Byron will be in Branson prior to Thanksgiving and will be appearing at Grant's Farm each night of the holiday program which lasts through December 30. That program begins the Friday evening after Thanksgiving.
This press release placed September 21, 2007
THINKING UPSIDE DOWN IS A BOOK YOU “OUGHTER” GET!
“I think it is 'The Otter Oughter' that expresses the theme of this book as well as any other poem, ”says Byron von Rosenberg, author of Thinking Upside Down: Poems, Fables, and Sketches (2005, Red Mountain Creations). “It's a fun little poem to read! You can take it at face value as a wistful look from the care filled to the carefree approach to life or, as I read it now, it seems like a love poem written by the logical left half of the brain to the intuitive right side. Perhaps best of all, it has an otter in it and otters are cute and funny! ”And Thinking Upside Down is a fun book to read! One hundred sixty pages long, packed with on hundred poems and a sketch on almost every page, Thinking Upside Down is full of ideas to make you laugh and think. And while some may look upon it as a children's or teen book, Thinking Upside Down is entertaining and thought-provoking enough to surprise readers of all ages.
Byron von Rosenberg wrote and illustrated the popular children's picture book, I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! (2004, Red Mountain Creations), now in its second printing. The delightful rhythm and rhyme, the expressive pictures, and the unexpectedly deep meaning of that book carry on into Thinking Upside Down in a whimsical yet powerful way.
Several of the poems in the new book are taken from Byron's two books of inspirational poetry, Don't Feed the Seagulls (Red Mountain Creations, 2002) and Climb the Red Mountain (Red Mountain Creations, 2004) which express love of God and country as well as that whimsical sense of humor. Wonderful poems such as “King Louie's Horse's Butt: A Love Story” from Climb the Red Mountain and “Super-Frog” from Don't Feed the Seagulls are joined by new creations “Ollie, the Bobble-Head Boy”,“Arnot and Artu, the Llamas from France”, and“Neanderthal Nell” .
It is an unlikely combination of poems from an even more unlikely source, a mid-level sales manager with an engineering degree who only began writing poetry regularly three years ago and yet has managed to produce and sell four books with two or three more in the wings. And he and his wife Sharon have two teenagers, two cats, and two dogs! Sharon teaches homeschool and is presently developing a home-based business with a wellness company.
The poet plans another poem book, Stars to Chase, for the near future. He is also working on a book of devotional poems called Diamonds of the Dawn. Details are available at his website, www.byronvonrosenberg.com . Orders can be placed through the website, by calling toll-free 1-866-SEA-GULS, or by sending a check to Red Mountain Creations, P. O. Box 172, High Ridge, MO 63049. Thinking Upside Down costs $16.50 and is well worth every penny! Shipping fees and other book prices are listed on the website.
The final lines of “The Otter Oughter” read “Odd the otter knows the best in life is free. The otter oughter teach that lesson now to me.” And to learn that lesson, you “oughter” get on the website or go to the bookstore and get a copy of Thinking Upside Down. It will turn your heart right side up!
INVASION OF THE LLAMAS!
Children's author and poet Byron von Rosenberg of Byrnes Mill, Missouri continues to make numerous signings and talks in the area to promote his popular children's book, I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! Byron is the author of two books of inspirational poetry, Don't Feed the Seagulls and Climb the Red Mountain and Thinking Upside Down , a book of poems, fables, and sketches.
I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! is a love poem for parents, grandparents, and teachers (aunts and uncles, friends, etc.) to read to the children they love and for the children to read back to them. Local radio personality Jim Cox of KEZK radio says of the book: “Poems the likes of which I haven't heard since, well, Dr. Suess!® Shel Silverstein!® That's who that poem, I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama! reminds me of!” Red Mountain Creations, is the publisher.
Byron's creative writing began with a poem, “Look at My Hands”, that he wrote as a good-bye to his father who had Lou Gehrig's disease. He has been writing every day since then, publishing his two books of inspirational poetry, speaking on television, radio, to civic groups, retirement homes, youth groups and schools. He has held book signings from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Georgia and has many more scheduled for the release of his book for preteens, teenagers, and adults, Thinking Upside Down.
Byron's creative writing began with a poem, “Look at My Hands”, that he wrote as a good-bye to his father. He has been writing every day since then, publishing two books of inspirational poetry, Don't Feed the Seagulls and Climb the Red Mountain, speaking on television, radio, to civic groups, retirement homes, youth groups and schools. He has held book signings from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Georgia and has many more scheduled this fall for the release of his children's book. He charges no set fees (honrariums are greatly appreciated) for his talks because “this ability is a gift from God that I give away when I can. I much prefer if a group or school or library would purchase copies of the books and CDs so I can continue sharing even after I have finsihed my talk!”
For more information, call Byron at 636-677-1540 or toll free at 1-866-SEA-GULS or see his website at www.byornvonrosenberg.com
MAVERICK FROM ENGINEERING FAMILY
WRITES POETRY!
Native Texan Byron von Rosenberg has completed four books in less than three years, and if you'd have asked him back then, he'd have laughed at the idea! Most of the men in Byron's family have been in technical fields since before the family emigrated from Germany in 1849. Byron's great-great grandfather, his great-grandfather, and his grandfather all worked in the Texas Land Office. And Byron has his own Chemical Engineering degree, earning a 4.0 average at Tulane and at the University of Tulsa.
Byron's life changed when his father faced ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Exhausted both physically and emotionally, he prayed for a special way to tell his dad “Thank you” for a life lived well - and to say “I love you!” “Look at My Hands” (see Dedication page) was the beginning of a journey that has seen Byron write virtually every day since that time and become a speaker at civic clubs, retirement homes and youth groups. He has also been featured on radio and television and in his local newspapaer in the St. Louis area. Most recently, several of his patriotic poems (see “The Wind in Freedom's Sail” in the Seasonal section) have been selected to be featured on as many as twenty radio stations in the Crawford Broadcasting Network. He has held signings from Anchorage, Alaska to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and the typical comments from the bookstores is, “Wow, we never sell that much poetry before!”
“Each poem is a special gift of the Holy Spirit,” Byron says, “and has a special message for someone. I don't know a lot of fancy words, I always rhyme poems, and I love to tell a story with a clear moral. One of my favorite comments came from a reader in England. He said, 'I haven't read a books of poetry since my school days. But I read them all! Some made me laugh, some made me cry, but all made me think.”
Byron is a 47 year old sales manager now and has a master's degree in Human Services from Murray State University to go with his engineering degree. He says talking organic chemistry at the University of Tulsa helped him develop skills that aid him in his poetry!
“Organic Chemistry is complex puzzle solving and I was constantly running new solutions through my mind. Rhyming poetry is similar in that I have to have rhythm and rhyme, but I have to resolve the story. It's fun for me because I sit down and start writing and maybe twenty or thirty minutes later, I've written something completely new! Many times I don't know what my conclusion will be until the final line, and sometimes I have to read the poem myself to fully understand the meaning.”
Byron's engineering days are long over, but he says he looks forward to writing every day as long as he lives.
“It's my way to put a mark on the day, to say this is what I thought about, and to pass that thought along to someone else. And I like to think that someday, long after I'm gone, someone else will think of me as a friend because that idea reached across time to touch their life and make a better day.”
This site was originally created by my son, Ryan. Many thanks to John von Rosenberg for special graphic effects and improvements.