Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Times

Philip Potempa of the Times in Chicago, had this to say about Lost in Oz:

Book it

While at this year's 26th Annual Wizard of Oz Festival, one of the visiting guests I met was a young author from New Hampshire named Joshua Dudley, who is continuing the story traditions started by Frank L. Baum when he originally penned the first of 40 books about the land of Oz way back in 1900.

Dudley, 21, can be proud of his new book, which is also his first book, "Lost in Oz" (May 2007 www.Lulu.com $10.95).

It's not only selling well, it also has a great story, including the author's own experiences and voice as one of the characters.

It's all about four friends who find themselves lost in a mysterious place and all sharing the same goal: to find a way home. (Sound familiar?) Of course ... their only way home is to catch up with a little girl wearing magic shoes. For more information, visit www.lostinozbook.com.

Click here to read the article on nwi.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Update: Hardcover Cover Art

Indiana Oz Festival Recap


Jean Nelson, founder of the festival and Joshua Dudley

This past weekend I finally attended the 26th Annual Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival in Valparaiso, IN. I had a completely wonderful time.
Thursday we were met at the airport by Carla Sellers and her mother Sandi and two beautiful limousines. Riding in the limos with us was John Henson, who works with Broadway Bears and the Broadway Cares foundations, Jerry Marren the lollipop kid and his wife, Elizabeth and Roger and Charlene Baum.
Roger is the great grandson to L. Frank Baum and also an Oz author. We were all surprised to find out that we had purchased Cairn Terrier puppies from JackiesPups, which is a great distance for both of us to travel. It’s such a small world!
We attended the welcome dinner that night where my manager Tim and I saw some familiar faces from past festivals including, John Fricke and Donna Stewart-Hardway, which is always a pleasure. I was also very pleased to meet Brenda Maynard, the director of the event and the woman responsible for my attendance. Everyone we met, of course, was a pleasure.
Friday morning was probably the most pivotal moment in my entire weekend. Tim and I got to meet our ambassador for the weekend, Janet Korzow. Janet has fought off many challenges in her life and in the short time we spent together, I feel she gave me a new outlook on the world. I was truly blessed to have her this weekend. We also had her husband Nick as an ambassador, he was also a great companion and always ready to help. Tim found solace in Nick as another sports fan and they had many great conversations, while I would chat with Janet about Oz! Two amazing people who will forever be in our hearts.
Friday evening was the Gala and we enjoyed many beautiful moments including a performance by John Fricke. I sat at one of the head tables of the celebrities and was the first to be interviewed. I was terribly nervous as I knew very few people. Luckily John Fricke went easy on me and I was able to answer my question to the best of my knowledge and share a wonderful memory about myself and my grandmother, to whom my first book was dedicated. The night was beautiful and so was the event. Tim and I returned to the hotel, eager to rest and prepare for the next day.
Saturday morning opened a bit chilly and we shivered our way through the parade, twice. Seeing the smiles on all the kids faces made me think about when my parents would take me to parades and I jump into the street after candy. We then moved into the celebrity court, that I shared with the munchkins, John Fricke, John Henson and Michael Sieward, who displayed his beautiful Judy Garland dress collection. The event was a smash and I got to meet some great new fans of the book. Some had already read it and discussed their thoughts with me. It was truly one of the most awarding experiences I’ve had.
Sunday started with the breakfast with the munchkins and we were again interviewed. This time I was asked about the sequel, Lost In Oz Rise of the Dark Wizard, which I decided to be more discreet about and create a feeling of mystery (haha). People who saw the cover artwork for the second book were very impressed which made me feel great. I love writing but I also love creating my own artwork for my books. I’m working with a new illustrator for the second book and I can’t wait to reveal some of his work.
At the end of the festival, I almost shed a tear thinking of all the fun I had, but I was happy to return home. After all, “there’s no place like home.”

--Joshua Patrick Dudley, 2007

Friday, September 07, 2007

Another NEW Wallpaper





The test artwork was posted for this quite a bit ago. Here's the final piece. This wallpaper is available in the downloads section.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Daily Ozmapolitan

Lost in Oz has made yet another appearance on the Daily Ozmapolitan news feed!

8/26/07 - Sequel Announced: Lost In Oz: Rise of the Dark Wizard
“There is a rule that says no one dies in the Land of Oz, but rules are made to be broken. It's time for Oz to be reborn.”

Click on the title to visit the Daily Ozmapolitan!

Cover Art PDFs


PDF files of the cover artwork for both books in the Lost In Oz series is now available on the Press and Downloads page!