A. J. Cosmo

Congratulations to the winners of the giveaway! I will be reaching out directly to the winners while I await the arrival of my author copies to get details on getting the signed copies to you!

Friends,

Happy re-release day for The Hope Flower! You can grab your copy here: https://amzn.to/4sC3JnJ

I am so excited to have been able to revisit this title and give it a bit of an update for the times. I am currently only able to do paperback and e-book editions, but we are working on getting it available in hard cover as well.

Part of what inspired this was a message I had received when I was off social media I missed of someone asking where they could get a copy of The Hope Flower and realizing it was out of print, and that the only available copies were from 3rd party resellers asking for obscene amounts of money. I never want anyone paying what was being asked for my work.

I have also received messages about other work that people are unable to find, and am responding to those. While I am working on new stories and characters, I will also be going through my bibliography to make sure older stories are available, as well as release some material I never put out.

We are also continuing the giveaway for the rest of today and will be contacting the winners (some already chosen) tomorrow! So if you want to enter, just Follow me, Like and Share our Hope Flower release day post!

Thank you for all the support and I love you so much!

A.J. Cosmo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajcosmokids/
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

Friends,

We are now only FIVE days away from the re-release of The Hope Flower on April 15, 2026!

I am so excited to be putting this book back out into the world, and I know some of you are equally as excited to be able to be able to physically add it to the A.J. Cosmo collection.

The giveaway contest is still going up until release day. We are giving away five signed and personalized copies of The Hope Flower to five lucky people that Follow, Like, and Share a “hope flower” related post on any of the social media accounts linked below.

And I just had an idea! Let’s give away one more…

One person who responds to this email will win a copy of the re-release of The Hope Flower. Just put “I Need Hope” in the subject line and in the body and… I don’t know, send a picture of your pet? That sounds good.

I’m ready for release day, how about you?

Talk soon,

A.J. Cosmo

Facebook: Your already here!
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

Friends,

There are currently no new announcements to make, so I'll keep this brief: we are less than two weeks away from the re-release of The Hope Flower on 4/15/2026!

I'm so excited you guys are excited for this and for the reaction to seeing the new cover. We're also excited for the giveaway of 5 signed and personalized copies on release day!

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is Follow me on a social media platform (links below), and Like and Share a Hope Flower related post!

After the re-release of The Hope Flower I'm going to be working on being more regular and engaging on social media! This is all a lot of work for one person, and I appreciate all your support!

Talk to you soon,
�A.J. Cosmo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajcosmokids/
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

Friends,

I've been working on the art for the re-release of The Hope Flower and I'm so excited to be able to share the cover with you all!

It's a bit emotional revisiting this book. We have all grown as people, and the world has evolved at a rapid pace since I originally created it. It is apparent now more than ever that the need for hope is the one thing that will remain consistent.

Also, the giveaway is still open and will be until release day!

I'm going to give away 5 personalized and signed copies of The Hope Flower, one for each of my social media accounts. To enter, all you need to do is Follow me on one of them, Like a post in reference to The Hope Flower, and Share a Hope Flower related post. That's it! I will select one winner from each of the social media platforms on 4/15/26.

I'm excited to re-release this book and get it into your hands! And also can't wait to announce what we also have in the works, so stay tuned!

Yours forever,
�A.J. Cosmo

Facebook: You're already here!
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

From the Desk of A.J. Cosmo,

With the re-release of The Hope Flower right around the corner on April 15, 2017 I wanted to do something fun leading up to it.

I have 5 social media accounts I've set up, some I've used previously and others are brand new. I am still getting the hang of being back on social media, and could use your help.

I'm going to give away 5 personalized and signed copies of The Hope Flower, one for each of my social media accounts. To enter, all you need to do is Follow me on one of them, Like a post in reference to The Hope Flower, and Share a Hope Flower related post. That's it. I will select one winner from each of the social media platforms on 4/15/26.

I'm excited to re-release this book and get it into your hands! And also can't wait to announce what we also have in the works, so stay tuned!

Yours forever,
�A.J. Cosmo

Facebook: You're already here!
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

And always, check out my other books here! - https://amzn.to/4dyZdT2

From the Desk of A.J. Cosmo:

Friends,

I know it may seem repetitive, but I truly am overwhelmed with gratitude at the response I've received coming back to writing and announcing the re-release of The Hope Flower. I cannot thank you all enough.

While I was away, the world did not stop and wait on A.J. In particular, the world of social media. Part of coming back was seeing how social media has changed and grown. And boy, it has grown. New algorithms, new platforms... it can be a lot. Thankfully, I have a friend that is more privy to that world than I, and is going to help me navigate it.

You can currently find me on
X: https://x.com/AJCosmokids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajcosmokids
Threads: https://www.threads.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajcosmokids.bsky.social

My friend is currently setting up a Linktree to help organize all of this, and I can't wait to see it. Some of these accounts have been apart of A.J. for awhile, and others are brand new. We also have had a bit of trouble coming back to the email, so if you do email me at [email protected] you will receive a response from me from [email protected]

I have also received questions about how to get autographed copies of The Hope Flower, and we are tossing around ideas of how to make this happen, but any and all ideas are welcome. Feel free to reach out via email or any of the listed social medias with yours!

I'm excited for this next chapter of A.J. and I'm glad to hear many of you are as well.

And while we wait for The Hope FLower, feel free to check out some of my other work here: https://amzn.to/4b94L59

Talk soon! - A.J. Cosmo

From the Desk of A.J. Cosmo:

Friends,

Spring is nearly upon us. This is a time when we welcome fresh rain to begin a season of rebirth and growth.

In 2012 I released my second book, The Hope Flower. Written and illustrated for a time when we needed a message of perseverance and hope, I was proud of what I created. It received mixed reviews, some praising the message, and others taking issue with the book containing the word “stupid”. I took the negative critiques, and like the flower, grew from them, and released an updated version containing a disclaimer and explanation.

As I have been getting back into A.J. and reading through old messages and emails, I have come across many in regards to The Hope Flower, and questions about physical copies of it. Since 2012 I have grown as a person, as a writer, and as an illustrator, and I want that reflected in my work.

I’m happy to announce that on April 15, 2026 we will be re-releasing The Hope Flower, with updated language and illustrations. It will be released in Hardcover format, as well as an e-book edition, and rest assured, its message of hope will remain untouched. While we are unable to print more physical copies of The Hope Flower in its original form, you can still get a Kindle Edition here https://amzn.to/3N9b9Ae

Again, thank you all for your kind words and support as I get back in the swing of things, and I’ll talk to you soon.

Yours truly, A.J. Cosmo

From the Desk of A.J. Cosmo:

Friends,

I immensely appreciate seeing the pictures of the messages from those who have received their copy of Teddy to the Rescue!: Franky vs The Lark available here: https://a.co/d/02sOyc2S

Hero stories are nothing new, our literature is soaking in them. As a child we need heroes, and stories about brave warriors coming to our rescue provide comfort that is necessary for our growth. We need to believe that we are taken care of in order to hatch from our eggs. Like Max in Teddy to the Rescue, we sleep soundly, even while in peril, knowing that someone powerful is watching over us.

Yet as we grow up the narrative shifts and we realize that our heroes are fewer and farther between until one day, after struggling alone, we come to realize that we have to be our own hero. In other words, we have to rescue ourselves, not necessarily because others don't want to, but because once we get old enough our problems become so personal that only we can solve them.

When you accept yourself as your own hero you gain power. Self reliance can be an incredibly potent tool and allows people to become the hero for others. Like Franky the teddy bear, we can come to the rescue of those in need. We transition from the damsel in distress into the knight that saves her.

Sometimes that change comes slowly with maturity, other times that change is forced upon us by becoming a parent. You become a hero once someone less powerful depends upon you, but being a hero means your actions are scrutinized, your motives questioned, and your mistakes are amplified, because, after all, we are human, and humans are silly and riddled with mistakes.

What most people lose sight of is that we can be all of these things at once. We can be the damsel in distress to one and the hero to another. The trick is to know when to raise your sword and fight, and when to let your guard down and be helped. Be sure and understand the reason behind what you do, and who, in the end, is being rescued. If you play the damsel when you are supposed to be the hero you will be waiting in your tower for a very long time.

Much love,

AJ Cosmo