Hello faithful readers! After an incredibly busy few months, Ryan and I have finally taken some time to breathe…and update everyone on some exciting happenings with the Mineral Maniacs!
Update #1:
The source of our greatest joy (and exhaustion!) has been the soon-to-be arrival of our fourth boy. Elijah is expected to make his grand appearance sometime after Christmas, and we (including our other minions) couldn’t be more thrilled!
The news obviously shifted our priorities a bit, and we have been spending the past two months working extra hard to publish some new and exciting materials with the Mineral Maniacs before Elijah’s arrival. Which leads me to…
Update #2: SPANISH EDITION
We are so pleased and excited to announce the publication of the Spanish version of book one of the Mineral Maniacs series: The Mineral Maniacs and the Magic Hardhat. The book will be available starting Tuesday, December 12, 2017 (Feast of Guadalupe!) and can be purchased through our website and Amazon. Since we first published the English translation, we had been receiving inquiries from around the Spanish-speaking world about a Spanish translation. We were so fortunate to have found a wonderful translator (who was raised at a mining camp!). She has been so incredibly passionate and thoughtful during the entire process, and has produced something quite beautiful. We are so excited to share this new translation with our Spanish-speaking readers.
Update #3: Activity Guide
One of the benefits of writing fiction books with educational aims is the content lends itself to learning. One of our primary goals from the beginning of writing this series was for both our adult and kid readers alike to learn more about the world of mining, manufacturing, geology, and engineering. We had a clear educational focus, and this activity guide will help supplement that focus. We have worked very hard to put together activities which are engaging, fun, and informative. The activity guide will be made available Friday, December 15, 2017, and can be purchased through these retailers.
Update #4: Miscellaneous and other happenings
As our daily lives are filled with holiday fun and baby-fever, we are still working hard to produce quality work for our series. We hope to update more regularly on this website, including new featured-series interviewing career miners and educators, exploring different minerals impacting our world and current events, and of course updating on the progress of future books. Book 2 of our series is currently being written, and we hope to have a finished product by the Spring/Summer of 2018.
We have been so humbled and thrilled at the response our book has received from so many members of the community. We are grateful for the continued support of our family and members of the industry, including educators, corporate sponsors, museum curators, and formal organizations. We are so excited for what the next few months will bring, and continue to ask for your prayers and support as we make this exciting new transition.
God bless you and your family during this holiday season!
Ryan and Julianne Miles
