a series of biographies for children. the latest releases are biographies of amelia erhard and abraham lincoln. biographies of rosa parks and albert einstein will be out later this year. as about 40 minutes. [applause] so you know what i love is that before it got out here, they made all the little kids in the back and they were like screw those little kids. finally, who has prevailed and said we'll put you at. now you leave to your parents and say i have better seats than you do. that's right. we'll teach you things jeff heer and washing in d.c. so let me say the most important thing of all and that is say

thank you for coming out here tonight. i want to do wonders peschel thank you has any too embarrassing. when i started my career in d.c., when you do your first event come you know who's going to be there. your mom, dad, sister and eventually find some strangers to come. one of the first entries as elliott beagle, elliot in the morning. let's hear it for elliot. we're going to tell the story on tv now because he's in his hair and everything is better on television. i can tell you that the next variant. elliott is an amazing -- host an amazing radio show called elliot in the morning. thanks depending on your phone eroding my whole joke. now your phone is on national tv. i hope you're excited. we've got presents two for everyone. so here's the story. elliott hosts is great, great radio show, elliot in the

morning. i listened to it every morning on the way to work can you capital. one morning i am in california and i get a phone call at 6:00 -- 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning california time. i pick up the phone and they see elliot is breaking into your house. apparently what they're doing is they set one of the comic guys on the show and said anyone out there know brad elster? i like his books. i want to find out where he lives. and of course washing mess with ethical people, every contractor who's ever worked a house calls a radio show and gives them are addressed. my wife gets a phone call like they're breaking into our house here cheats that work, i'm not home. he's got to call into the station. i can hear when they put you on hold you can have it's been said on the air. i hear unlucky not his apartment. a pretty okay tv, not that nice.

describing the house and like they really are at our house or the woman comes on the phone and she says how do we know it is you? it's me. i don't know how to prove it to you. what color carpet do you have? it to him, it is him. so that was over a decade ago, long over a decade ago. the elliot is here tonight. [applause] everyone here for elliot. the nice part is he's dressed up for the occasion. this is actually a tie for him. i want to say thank you publicly for what you do. >> is this really on cnbc's? >> @stand -- soever and switch channels -- >> there's a lot of things i'd like to say on c-span that have probably never been said. the mac we can say things that have never been said before. i love you. thank you.

without him, truthfully i really think many of you would not be here. show of hands. how many of you are here for him? the other ones i don't owe you anything for her. >> ride is the best. enjoy the rest of the night. >> the best part is it elliott is now syndicated in new york, so that means he gets twice the annoying people because jersey. i only say it because i love them. these folks, "i am amelia earhart" and "i am abraham lincoln." i guess i'm known for thrillers. i read political thrillers. and now suddenly i'm doing children's books. this is washington d.c., virginia right now, so close to d.c. there is no difference between politicians and children. there is none. children are just honest.

there's no difference in writing a thriller or a children's book. but i would say these books for me the reason i started than this because my own kids i was looking at them and i was just tired of watching my kids look at reality tv show people and that is sunny here. being famous is very different than being a hero. i said i have so many other heroes. abraham lincoln, amelia earhart, how do we do that? illustrated children's books are the chosen stories of the series. we want to not just tell you the stories we know about amelia earhart and abraham lincoln, the show utilized americares. he's even given he was a little boy and the result is when you meet these folks if your kids and grandkids that they realize the power and potential of the

novice. you can see what they're accomplishing when their little kids. if i saw my daughter that she flew across the landscape, if i tell my daughter she built a homemade roller coaster in our backyard, and that she took a wooden crate. she pushed to create up to the top of the roof. there's two different planks and run them down from the edge of the toolshed. she takes the car, goes to the top of the roof in the car. she says i'm going first. they get into the wooden cart, shows her stomach.amount, the wind on her face. this is true, the first time a

amelia are hard lands in crashes and tumbles down and gets up and says that was not done. my daughter reads that and goes amelia earhart is just like me, dad. it is to bring these alive. i want a military tv be as amazed that she is due out the. so that's what these folks try to do. the stories are all real. we found it from this great group that studies linking in illinois. he goes and finds a group of boys working at turtles.

link a monkey and also in his little. he sees all these turtles. they're putting hot coals on the backs of the turtles. they're torturing the turtles. any fields terrible about this. he sees this great injustice. abraham lincoln and that woman has to decide what to do. it is hard to do the right things sometimes. then rescues them, stands up to the boys. my little one was like he's just a week, dad. he loves animals. abraham lincoln and not on the comes back to life. abraham lincoln is as amazing as you and i else in tears. that's what these folks are really about. not just telling me these stories, one book or to book.

we want to build a library for you. in june we do a iamb rosa parks and then we do i. m. albertine zednik in september. our goal is to build a library for you that you can be proud to give your kids in grandkids to present them with hopes of values. each book is about an important thing you should teach and share with your kids. it says right on the back of the book on the back of the book he says they know no bounds. i will always stand up for myself. when you see elbert einstein, always asking the question why. we must teach our kids to ask the question why a vital question. to me, that is the these books are. we all tend to complain about it. this is my solution and i

appreciate you taking the time and coming here tonight in sharon this is a because this is obvious to you -- these books are my heart in book form. this is to let people have this library they can share of the flow of history they can share with their kids. i will tell you as to whether perks are not commit to things. yesterday the new york daily news took "i am amelia earhart" and i said we are taking it into the classroom. i had no idea about it. to put meltzer curtsies attest, we took it into a classroom. i thought this is certain death. and your paper is going to take your book in this is awful. and i loved those same standards when the characters, heroes are kids themselves. the best part came a couple days ago. my wife told me my son. he said he'll stake here.

my older son brad, my oldest son says to my younger son, udp like rosa parks. and don't let anyone tell me where you consider not say. i'll be like rosa parks. there is no way. this is the greatest moment of my life. no one can. i just love that rosa parks to hand has so much meaning and makes this important as she ever was.

so we found all these stories about lincoln. lincoln once said to the hype always. so we found stories. oxalic of the year because they told me the link and books are gone already. we are in virginia so the lincoln books are gone. in kansas, there likes burlington, i want the amelia earhart one. abraham lincoln is a great story and i feel like there's kids here. abraham lincoln is on this horse monday. he spots the horrors and gets them back in a bit back in place. lincoln basically says if i didn't stop, i would really stop thinking about them. and i'm just like, that is abraham lincoln to me. that his greatness.

and abraham lincoln first was to all hate. and this old indian comes into camp and has a letter that says he is a sign on a button and it should be trusted. and all the around and say to abraham lincoln, listed. he's going to kill us right now. abraham lincoln said now come his protected by me. anyone who wants to hurt this man, you have to go through me. abraham lincoln was a big man, over six feet tall. they're bigger than all the stuff you want us to go through you, that's not a fair fight. abraham lincoln motson says you choose your weapon then. that is bad kss.

abraham lincoln just telling it. he can be like an american fighting champion today. that's the rails does. forget the vampire hunter. that is a real abraham lincoln. so the stories you see obviously with the best ones in the book. every book you see real stories about the accomplishment or older. so with that, that is the introduction. each book has a title, but the whole series is called ordinary people change worldwide. that is my philosophy. i don't care where you went to school, how much money you make. to some extent. so i believe in amelia earhart and abraham lincoln on my english teacher who once helped me and told me i could write for the first time. i love that i get to share this books a few. another ordinary person i want, one is my life easier and i

appreciate that. she's in the back. she left it for the kids. see, she's nice. my washington d.c. wife is in the firm. i want to thank a teacher from college. i took this class called writing children's books. i sign-up for the class, take the class every right to children's book. at the end of semester i'm 19 years old. i have a full head of hair, like a lion named, right clicks that little kid laughter that showed. i love that kid. alliance name. you're bald. and so, i take this class. i love the class. i say can i take the class again she says yeah, take it again.

my friend jed was an artist. i used to read the stories in here at ellis drake then. and so we did. we just create children's book after children's book. now here i am today with their very first illustrated children's book. i caught a couple weeks ago and my professor from michigan. she said i'm not surprised. the thank you to her. every teacher who is here today, you have no idea the impact you have on your students. you have 30 students i know. we have one teacher. every teacher here in out there, thank you for what you do. this to me is really her book in a strange way, although she gets no roses for me. none. but with that said, let me openness to questions because they're far more interesting than hearing me talk in top. you can ask anything you want about thrillers, tv, kids books. but if you got?

[inaudible] >> is the question. can you write a book about you advocate attorney for free? gas, i am brad meltzer. it will be for free. if i don't give it to you for free, will you buy it? look at that, the longest positive ever seen in the whole world. people say do you believe in god and they have a shorter pause. that's a jerry seinfeld joke. i stole it. but if i write a book called im brad meltzer, it's yours for free. none of you kids in the front. just 10. what is your name? jason? who do you think years? ito now. you better know that one.

other questions? >> s. a man who's showing the abraham lincoln overpeer the bullet that killed abraham lincoln. this is actually worth of visually here. so years that the looks like. you can be a friend emilia erhardt -- you got abraham lincoln. can you see it? saviors front of the boat. the question is, did i choose the artist? of course i did because i am a control freak and what happiness this is the crazy part of the story as i was on twitter of all things. i don't know what that is. in washington d.c. at the strange guys, we all know. so i was on twitter and the

dakota came on the air, an item on twitter. i trust many people for the internet. i knew his work. he worked on, looks from spiderman two x-men, to any book you can imagine. i knew his work and loved his work. but i love about his work is what chris elliott bliss does is like of kind of tenets and charlie brown mixed with calvin and hobbes. and that is what you need. the front of his work as he does hire. that's what he does. that's what this is. i remember -- can i have your book one second. this is where he knew how great he was. i asked him, we had a scene and i want to abraham lincoln standing on the spot where martin luther king junior gave his speech and will see the crowd going all the way to the washington monument and the sun is a nice guy that to be pressed

taking and we have to fall in love with it in this better be the best picture you've ever drawn in your whole life. that's all it has to be. he drew this in a moment and this was really looking. when he handed the sin, i was late, its allies. the books are laughing at the real collaboration. i think usually when you do children's books, the publisher usually picks out the person for you. i came to them with this fully formed and gave them the art and said this is the guy of what you were with. if it's not lovable, it's never going to work. so we definitely consciously chose to make the kids. the best question then i do not in all interviews, i promise this is true is a monastic, did abraham lincoln really have a beard when he was seven years old? [laughter] i'm like yes he did. the most hormonal little boy

ever. he actually drew little wind so it actually looks at the fake beard. but i love the reporter then asked if that was straight face. when the editor first looked at it, they said, should we make them bigger as he gets older? i said you're going to rob all the magic. trust me on this. he said the drama one time. chris drew her age and then we all looked at it. she's a genius. she knows it. the reason we keep them young and so all of you guys in the front row, on the kids out there, that is always lovable to them and that's why they react to them. those kids in new york is why my kids react. my kids hate everything i work on. my daughter said recently, why does anyone want your autograph in their book? thank you, dear. you know any of us on the cover.

she's like my name is on the cover, too, meltzer. that is a fair point. this is the first thing they've ever react to. my son said the other day, can i read the overnight in the early? oocyte who are you and what have you done with mice done quite a never won anything i'm working on. you never supposed to impress by your parents and that is okay. that's what keeps you humble and life. this really sells it. [inaudible] >> that is a good question. what is your name? george washington as a president, too. that's a great question. let's hear it for scarlett. take a bow. i love it. are you related to my daughter? other questions, yes.

>> regarding the comic hero, green arrow, where'd you get get the inspiration? [inaudible] you are awesome. >> anyone who holds up the green lantern ring they are wearing is my hero. the question is would you get get the inspiration? even for batman for that matter when you write these tories. i also do, folks. to me,, books are as important to me is abraham lincoln as an emilia erhardt is. batman and superman are as important because that the american mythology. i know that two of them are real and two of them are imaginary and two of them wear their underwear on the outside of my pants. when i read batman, i wrote that i must be. i wrote out with my underwear on the outside of ip and. last night d.c. comics called up

instead you write batman? for the inspiration, for those scared to us, like in any story is to look at the character, try secured or until your best story. for me, back in the reagan era where some of the most well developed or send his jury. you know exactly what batman does. batman goes and gets ice cream. that's not what rabin with dave. everyone knows that's not what batman is. maybe superman goes and gets ice cream, but you know what batman does. communicator yours that are so well defined like that make the storytelling much easier is to write them because they're so perfectly defined. the reason the stories persist from batman is superman is because those scared yours, i

may use that word on purpose. those aren't just stories about them. they are the stories device and will what to. they are what we all aspire to his people. that is why they are vital. as for the inspiration comes from. just trying to tell the bus during. [inaudible] >> sneak peeks in the audience. i love this. somebody like better, looking at sacajawea or lucille ball for the next one. show of hands. sacajawea, raise your hand. [inaudible] >> you're going to learn. if your parents don't buy it is though, they don't love you. okay now lucille ball? interesting. the one after that, chris the artists really wants to triennial armstrong. but we also want to draw jackie robinson. i want to see about.

how many people want to see neil armstrong quite so those are basically where we are looking. for in the contract first dates. our goal is to do 600 of them. here is for my son coming years for my daughter. we have heroes like ben franklin i want to do with the goal is to keep telling them what i would like to do is tell the stories about people you don't know. there is a girl who's named alex scott. alex scott was barely a year old was diagnosed with cancer. the only life she knew. chemotherapy and sickness. which is for five years old, she wants to open up a lemonade stand. she doesn't want to use the money for herself. she wants to help other kids with cancer. within a single day, her lemonade and races over $2000 futures. other lemonade stands are

popping up. eventually she says let's raise a million dollars. on june 12, 2004, hundreds of lemonade stands open up in every state in the country. ordinary people selling water and sugar in london to help kids with cancer. a couple months after that, alexander dies here she's barely eight years old. she says next year's goal should be $5 million. to this day, the lemonade stand has raised over $60 million is though going strong. one girl, one idea, one big dream. to me, that the ordinary people who change this world. i want to tell everyone story that is very telling. what if you got? today bring my kids? you on a date? [laughter] my kids are actually in florida. that is lucky because it's cold

here, trust me. either way, i am going to travel with little kids everywhere you go. whatever you say that i can't hop. you guys hearing all the stuff. this is late, old. i say ice cream there like gap, whew. i want people to follow me around. like that is the best. when i used to work in an ice creams were, if you came to the front of the ice cream store but like this and spent your fingers to get my attention, i would take my pinky and break the bottom of your code and give it to you with a smile. when you're 500 yards away, it would be all over your shirt and i would be like have a nice day. we have a rule in my family. one of my biggest rules if you are nice to manager to the waiter, you are a. there is a lesson. take that one. you, too, grayson.

iv on my >> can i write a book about ironman for free? are you going to pay for the lawyer quite as long as your dad is a lawyer and mom is a lawyer, we are okay. in d.c., the are pretty good. >> by the avid readers? if so, why? the truth is that half-and-half. my oldest son is a roulette a reader. they have really good taste. i think they see me being really demanding about the book and as a result they are pretty demanding. but when they find something as good, they know it. my son with the hunger gave some insight this is good, dad. unlike, you're right. he knows. we all know it is. i love that. when i said to d.c. book

festival, the first year i did it, i had this huge crowd that was like laughing in all directions. i was so proud of myself. it was like a massive crowd. i found that suzanne collins who got the hunger games was after me and it is all the people camped out to see her. i love her. i love her books. you had a questionnaire. yes companies ela. >> the question is how long does it take to write a book. one of the thrillers at the fifth assassin, also good for kids, totally appropriate. ..

she's pulling up to the sky, i'll find the page so i show you what i'm talking that. there's this moment she's pointing up at the sky. and use here and i will say to chris as we are drawn, i will say i want the camera here on the ground, like a worm is looking upwards so you can see this gale of amelia earhart looking up. he's just amazed, re-tweeting what's in my brain. and sometimes he will change. know, i've got a better shot. i will say my way is better. and i will say your way is better. there is a real collaboration but every detail you see is me

saying, the camera should be here, here's what the picture looks like. is exactly what we need to draw. that takes a lot less. it depends on what kind of book you write. >> every year you take the kids in your carpal to disneyland. do they expect it? can i do with you next time? >> what's your name? cw, did they pay you to change your name? [inaudible] >> you should totally simply because there's a lot of lawyers in d.c. the question is, every year, i take my kids one day and carpal on the way to school. i live in florida and on the way to school one day every year just as we're about to turn to school, we turn the other way and we drop straight to disney world. they never know what it's going to be. the rule is, for me is i want my kids to know they're still always a surprise in life. there's always a surprise.

lucky is right, right? what i do is, the best part is when i have my youngest went to my older ones are kind of like, they can figure, it's presidents' day, maybe this day. or my young nephew, he thinks every day we go to school where going to disney world. ike every day. he sits in the back like -- then we turn and he's like -- we could still turn around, we can still turn around. and finally i'm liking it outcome you've got to go to school. next to his life, he's going to turn, he's going to turn come he'isgoing to turn. every day i love that about him. we went last week. cw will come with those for next year. i want to make this an annual thing where people just play hooky and do it with us. what we did this year if we went last week, i put on twitter, i said i had a copy of "i am

abraham lincoln" summer in disney world, and company. i just put it out there. i will see if you find it. so of course thousands started reading back all of facebook and on twitter, where it is. where do you think about it? hall of presidents. i host a show, and i look at obvious i'm going to put in all of presidents? my wife is like put it in the hall of presidents. i said it's not the hall of presidents. think of my other book. someone come it's amazing what you see when you have imagination. the book, the millionaires, the underground tunnels militancy world. i put someone's answers up there. someone in virginia, that guy right there started getting onto whatever is going on, like the batcave, basically goes and finds where the tunnel entrances are any put it out there.

been slowly, people are honing in on it. the back of cinderella's castle. sure enough i put a clue after clue. clue number seven and i go back because i want to see if it's still there. it's like four hours later. a lot of people are searching for it, running around disney world. searching every get shot, tearing it apart. they weren't happy with me, by the way. and so just as we get there there is a woman who found. she found it, i got there with my kids and she found. another family came racing up at the same time and they were like oh, my gosh, we didn't find it. but i'm not stupid. i brought to so i gave them an early copy of i am rosa parks. i highly encourage you to do something with your kids that bring a surprise and awe back into their life under the bases even if it's just once a year, give them something big in something fun.

i will do two more questions and then signed some books. [inaudible] >> the question is how is it likely with an illustrator for a kids book as opposed to dealing with one for comic book, batman or superman. i treat them exactly say. same word document that i format with. and the truth is with a good artist eventually start working with them, they start knowing you and they start doing what you like and they know your tastes. as the book has gone on, i started writing less and less description because i could use the shorthand that we know about each other. i think you'll see even in rosa parks, look in the back cover of those books, you see the cover of i am rosa parks and that was the best cover chris does because he knows exactly what we're looking for at that moment. it is an art in art form. last question.

>> i was wondering if you are doing a television show -- [inaudible] >> the question is do you like doing more television? i love doing tv and it's fun to do tv and it's under pressure family and be on tv where they can say things like your teeth are so white. all anyone cares about is my teeth are white. this is my family, not yours. i like doing it but the books and the novels are the houses that have built with my own hands. it's fun to obviously be in an airport and people recognize you and that sort of stuff but again that same and it doesn't mean anything. it doesn't make you any nicer, better, smarter of a person. you can put a watermelon on tv and they will be famous. to me that's what is wrong with the culture. what is right with the culture is when we look at people's actions. to me the best action i can put out there is telling these stories. that is the thing about to do.

whether it's a fictional novel or whether it's a kids book or whether a comic book or a nonfiction book, to me it's a good story. there was a study done last week that said when you hear a story, your brain works differently than when you hear facts. when you're in fact, if i say it is a fact, your brain goes away. if i tell you a story about running, and part of your brain that works when you're running starts actually firing. because it starts living that moment of the story. so when you hear a story, your brain actually works in an amazing way you don't realize. that's the power of an amazing story. it lights up your whole brain and i think it's why he gets a reaction it does. for me, great stories are not what did happen. they are what could happen. i love that power. the man in the tight in the back, the young man. last question for you. [inaudible] >> good.

so you're going to be a writer, right? when you write your book, i'm serious, you invite me. is question is, very fair question, after you write the book how long does it take to get published? it takes almost eight months to do it. judges in the books out and early copy, reviewers. in these books yet to get all the art so it takes more time. you get the colors and the letters. said each one is very different. i'll tell you, for instance, the sequel am working on now, the fifth assassin will take a least eight months lead time and i'm still trying to finish it so you will have that next january, a year from now. that's the process. each time i tend to tak take a k when they feel like i'm stuck on one thing and i will go back to the children's book, and when i go back to the fictional book, you do have to get it to the publisher. with a second a couple of things. we are a couple of gifts. how many do we have? >> we have a box. >> if you come tonight, in new

york, here in virginia you get a bag with our favorites pictures on them so thank you for coming tonight. [applause] and i will also say again most important thing i can say tonight is thank you. thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting this. the fact you support the novel is the reason i get to do this. this is what i have waited my whole life to be is share transport and was a parks and abraham lincoln, and all the great people who have lived throughout this world. these -- usually are all capable of honor best days. i really appreciate you joining me here at the barnes & noble. booktv is the best tv. if you watch it as religiously as i did you are a nerd like i i am, but god bless us all for doing this because it is to me

what makes america smart on a daily basis. thank you all very much. [applause] >> what we would like to do to honor the children who came to this evening is not a children's book signed first better writer with this. and then we will begin with number 311-2331. that will be the first group following this program. please, let's make a very neat line. that way everyone will get their special time. [inaudible] >> we would like to hear from you. tweet us your feedback, twitter.com/booktv. >> this is really an instrument

of the president. and that is always been the case. the president is always the master. i mentioned in the book presidents, and i served under seven during my time, each, to get a sort of the personal -- the contracted to do things in secret. they don't have to worry about the normal congressional appropriations process. and it's a convenient and attractive, sometimes overly said that give tool in the president's foreign policy arsenal. >> from the shadows to the frequency of political coverage, look at the cia tonight at nine on "after words," part of booktv this weekend on c-span2. and online at booktv's book club. read a women's history for beginners and join the conversation.

go to booktv.org and click on book club to enter the chat ro room. >> next, an overview of the current status of the u.s. self-publishing industry featuring input from the organized and presenters at the fifth annual self-publishing book expo. this is about half an hour..s. >> new york city, a place mostlo of the u.s. publishing industry once called home, in recent co years, then prominent publishing houses have consolidated, and is self-publishing has exploded into a lucrative industry in ito own right. new york is now home tow the self-publishing book expo which celebrated its fifth year in. 2013. >> hand in hand with the economr was there a lot of editors that suddenly their own freelancek, companies, there were a lot ofgo book designers that were out of work and freelance it a lot, ans so as a r