Hey everyone!

I'm Bonnie and I have a confession. I'm pretty obsessed with nudibranchs. Noo-da-branks are soft bodied mollusks that shed their shells at the larva stage of development. That's right folks, they're totally NAKED and proud of it! 

I first learned about nudibranchs when I came face to face with one on an open water dive off the coast of New Zealand's White Island. It was love at first sight for me. From that moment on, the nudibranch has been my favorite animal in the sea. Not everyone knows about these fascinating creatures, so I am creating these informational books and game with the hope of inspiring a whole new generation of nudibranch enthusiasts. 

I am the author illustrator of Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea, a new informational fiction picture book all about a flashy and fierce nudibranch named Gill. This beautiful hardcover book was published by Gnome Road Publishing, April 2023. When a curious young snorkeler stumbles upon Gill, she learns there is more than meets the eye when it comes to her sassy new friend. This soft-bodied mollusk is anything but vulnerable, turning a diet of dangerous ocean creatures into a poisonous sting of its own. Found in unique shapes and colors in every ocean throughout the world, Gill and his diverse family of nudibranchs serve as a reminder that being small doesn’t mean you can’t have it all!

Along with the release of my book, I created this companion coloring book based on my blog post series. Nudi Gill Pin-Ups! The Coloring Book: Nifty Nudibranchs and Other Sassy Sea Slugs. The 32-page coloring book is hosted by Gill, but focuses more on other nudibranch and sea slug species. You can learn interesting facts about them and their scientific names. Of course, in true Nudi Gill fashion, it is also peppered with jokes and quirky personalities.  Oh, and you won't want to miss that centerfold spread featuring Gill in all his glory.

Now I am excited to announce that I am creating a card game to further compliment the Nudi Gill product line. As with my books, there will be humor mixed with educational information about Gill and all his friends. I hope you will support my project so that I can have these cards printed and distributed to all the nudibranch enthusiasts out there. I will be updating this page as the campaign progresses and I finalize my designs, so be sure to check back often for more sneak peeks into the project.

I designed this colorful and funny card game with the whole family in mind. It's easy to play and a great way to learn more about nudibranchs. I'm still finishing some of the art, but I promise the instructions will be simple and clear.

Ready to see some samples?

LET'S DO THIS!!!!

All the animals have been selected and ranked. I'll be posting new card designs as I finish them. Visit often to see the whole deck come together. 

There are 44 color-coded number cards with species information on all. Even without playing a game, these are fun cards to read and learn from. These 44 cards are all you need to play MIGHTY MOLLUSKS. If you want to play NUDI GILL, you will need to throw in these extra cards...

Action cards take this game to the next level by introducing some strategy. Don't get put off by this, it's still a very VERY easy game to play.

I've been a card game player all my life and it is my humble opinion that all the best ones include a few WILD CARDS. So, I decided to up the ante with a few fun, if not ridiculous, commands. My demo deck has already created a few belly laughs around the table at my house.  

The decks are poker-sized (2-1/2" x 3-1/2") and come in a brightly colored tuck box. 

This is definitely a passion project and I need your support to have the decks professionally printed. If the project receives enough attention, my publisher might even find a way to have these mass produced. Just think, if you get involved at this level, you can claim to have supported it when it was just a tiny slimy sluggish little clam bake.  

As a supporter, I can reward you with:

• personalized signed copies of either or both of my books
• custom designed stickers and bookmarks
• an early release of the card game itself
• a special craft activity kit

I have several reward tiers available and I promise you that no contribution is too small. After the campaign ends, I will need some time to have the card decks printed and organize my reward packages. I plan to have them in the mail within six months after the campaign ends. That's around mid February 2024. 

I have always known that ocean conservation was my passion, and now I have products that help spread the message that the ocean is an important and valuable resource. The more people know about the creatures who live in the ocean, the more they will care about them and want to protect them.

A big part of conservation is protecting diversity.

Scientists say that when there are nudibranchs around,

it's a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

Mollusks have been around for over five hundred million years! The species have had time to exploit almost every habitat on earth; there are marine, freshwater and terrestrial species. Mollusks can be found from the mountain heights and tree branches to the mud of the ocean's abyssal depths. There are creepers, burrowers, swimmers, drifters and  encrusters. They are filter feeders, algae, plant and fungus grazers, active hunters, parasites and scavengers. They breathe air or water, live in our familiar carbon-based ecosystem or cluster around the warm silicon-rich waters of hydrothermal vents. Their diversity is nothing short of miraculous. Today, more than 16,000 animal species are endangered worldwide and this number includes 448 species of mollusks. 

Like most other animal groups in today's changing world, no matter where or how they live, the animals of the phylum Mollusca are vulnerable to the changes man is bringing to this earth. We threaten their habitats and food supplies, the purity of the water they breathe and, through unregulated fisheries, the very numbers of their populations. Some species of mollusks have become extinct because of our activities and others teeter on the brink. Vital to their survival is our understanding of the damage we do to the environment we share with them the ways that damage affects them. To save them we must study them, document their life histories, their needs and weaknesses, and learn to appreciate them as the valuable natural resources they are.

I hope you will consider supporting my project and spread the word about it to your family and friends. 

Best wishes,

Bonnie