My Book Jessa The Reindeer Shark

PRODUCT DETAILS:

Published:  November 2013

Formats:  Large print paperback, Kindle

Pages in paperback:  110

Publisher:  Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Language:  English

ISBN-10:  1499211236

ISBN-13:  978-1499211238

Product dimensions:  6 x .3 x 9 inches

Shipping weight:  7.8 ounces

Availability:  Amazon.com

Price for paperback:  $13.28

Price for Kindle:  $2.99 (*Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read it for free)

Kindle Version Published:  July 2014

Pages on Kindle Version:  77

File size for Kindle:  917 KB

Sold By:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

ASIN:  B00MALUEL2

Text to Speech:  Enabled

X-ray and Word Wise:  Not Enabled

Lending:  Enabled

Summary of  Plotline:  This Christmas story is appropriate for teens and adults. The Donners make a Christmas wish to have a baby daughter, but alas...the absent-minded Creator has ran out of reindeer parts. Not wanting to disappoint them, he rigs a baby together with some spare parts and duct tape. Mrs. Donner loves her child unconditionally, but Mr. Donner laments that his child is a freak. He wants a normal child that will be accepted by everyone and can follow in his footsteps. Even Santa Claus finds it hard to love this child, particularly as she likes biting tushies with her sharp teeth. When Jessa gets revenge for being rejected, she winds up putting Christmas in jeopardy. However, on her personal journey, she meets a wise penguin and a snowman that hates the cold--and they help her realize that what makes us different sometimes is what makes us special.

Author:  Jessica Gray (moi)

Intended Audience:  Parents may want to read the story first before reading it to little ones to see if they have any issues.  There are disguised references and a religious influence.

I remember, when I was a very young child, how the movie Jaws terrorized everyone.  I realize now that it must have been one of the sequels that traumatized my little school friends, because the original movie came out the same year I was born.  I never actually saw the movie, but I succumbed to the fear all the same...at least until I saw clips of the movie Piranha, and suddenly Jaws didn't seem that tough.  Also, about that same time, activists who felt that sharks had gotten an unfair reputation by the movie franchise started educating us about them.

Still, the movie Jaws is probably responsible for inspiring this book.  It was near Christmas.  I guess I must have still believed in Santa Claus.  I had a dream that Santa had landed on my grandparent's roof.  They had a house with a flat roof, so I never feared that Santa would fall off.  Of course, the house had no chimney...because we really don't need fireplaces in Florida.  Still, that was just one of the many mysteries of Santa Claus.

Anyway, I dreamed that I was also on the roof...and there was even snow...which should have clued me in that I was dreaming--since again, I live in Florida.  Still, these things always make sense in dreams.  I went to pet Rudolph, and suddenly his head morphed into a shark's head.  It was terrifying!

The dreamed scared me, and yet it was empowering.  I conceived a terrifying creature that night...a reindeer shark.  Someone who is cuddly and cute like a reindeer, but who can change into a vicious beast.  I was going through a difficult time at this stage.  I found strength in this alter ego.  Whenever my uncle teased me, I would scream, "I'm a reindeer shark, and I'm going to scratch you!"  Of course, in those days, I actually said "skwatch", since I had a problem pronouncing r's for some reason.

Apparently, I was pretty scary.  My uncle was so unnerved that he remembered it long after I had forgotten it.  When we reconciled with the family, he mentioned it.  Suddenly, I remembered my alter ego, and this inspired me to write the story.  I also did the illustrations.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much this would jack up the price.  It makes sense.  The book probably does cost more to print when it has illustrations.  I had to limit availability to just Amazon, rather than let it be offered to other bookstores, because that would have increased the price even more.  I already felt $13.25 was too much for such a small book, and had I not limited availability, it would have been $21.00.  You learn as you go.

Even though I realize the illustrations, with the cost of ink, probably makes the book expensive to produce, I still think $13.25 is a steep price for this

I didn't really expect to get many people to buy the paperback.  Even a friend of mine said, "I love you, but I'm not paying $13.00 for your book."  Fortunately, it is available on Kindle at a much more reasonable price.  People who have a Kindle Unlimited subscription can read it for free.

I had meant the story to originally be a children's story, but I have to admit that I find it difficult to cater to a younger audience.  I find these times rather baffling.  I know plenty of children whose parents allow them to play things like Grand Theft Auto, which is a violent, crime promoting, sexually explicit game meant for mature audiences.  Yet, these same parents can get upset over Lady Gaga lyrics or something along those lines...something that always, to me at least, seems very innocent in comparison.

The book has what I call "wink-wink" references.  This actually was quite common in old cartoons.  A reference would be thrown in that children would take at face value or entirely miss, whereas adults would get the joke.  In my book, for example, the assistant of the Creator--named Peter--remarks that the Creator has finished fashioning one of their more popular requests--an enlargement of...and item number I don't remember.  The Creator then remarks that he thinks the bodies that he gives people are perfect, and yet they never agree.  Now, this can be as innocent or dirty as you make it.  I never specifically say what part of the body that the popular item represents.  At the time I wrote the book, having large lips like Angelina Jolie was popular...so that could be the enlargement request.  However, adults could also believe it is breasts or...something else.

I also expect to have problems with both non-Christians and Christians.  The book may be interpreted as having religious references.  There is a Creator with an assistant named Peter.  There is Earth, an "up there", and a "down there" that has a warmer climate.  Atheists may not appreciate the references, while Christians may get upset over my making the Creator absent-minded and what is assumed to be heaven a place with bad coffee and where people still give you fruitcake.

However, I think the book has many merits too.  It addresses many issues.  I think people born with handicaps may be able to relate to Jessa and her trials.  Though the Creator makes Jessa a hybrid between a shark and reindeer, other people consider her a monstrosity and defective.  Even Santa Claus shows revulsion towards her.  Jessa's father is disappointed in her and wonders why the Creator can't give him a normal child that can follow in his footsteps.

Naturally, Jessa grows up feeling resentful for being rejected for something that was out of her control.  She does not understand that some of her more aggressive qualities are not appreciated.  She starts acting out in inappropriate ways, which does not help her situation any.

Pennigan, the wise penguin, is one of my favorite characters of all that I have created.  I relate to Jessa, but Pennigan is my favorite.  He is wise, and he is a good mentor for Jessa.  He understands that what people consider to be mistakes or freakish can be functional and considered special.  He understands that sometimes our behavior is not meant to be hurtful, but it can still be annoying.  He also realizes that everyone has something freakish about them.

I love the friendship he has with Puddle, the cold-hating snowman.  They are the perfect odd couple.  They squabble, and Pennigan likes playing pranks on his friend that Puddle doesn't usually appreciate. The duo reminds me of the Muppet pairing of the scientist and Beaker.

You always hope that people will like your book.  Admittedly, Jessa's price for the paperback may drive people away...and I don't know how many people have Kindle apps.  I've already gotten my first criticism of it.  Someone left a comment of "This sucks" on my video review.  This lead me to reflect on the phases I go through when I receive negative feedback.

THE PHASES I GO THROUGH WHEN SOMEBODY CRITICIZES MY WORK:
1. Have urge to make equally rude remark back to them.
2. Have the urge to hunt them down and destroy them.
3. Lick my wounds and console myself that they are just too ignorant to appreciate and recognize my genius.
4. Begin to wonder if their comment is meant to be hurtful, or they meant something else by it. Maybe when they said "This sucks", they didn't mean the worked suck...but they were commenting on the product I reviewed or something else I mentioned.
5. Congratulate myself that I'm taking criticism better, for #1-3 are fading faster, lasting only a few seconds where they used to last a half hour.
6. Look person up to see what type of things they like and whether they are just a troll.
7. Feel grudging respect if they have cool videos.
8. Feel a little ashamed of myself that I even considered doing #1-2 when I find out the person is an eight year old kid.