As a child, I always imagined that one day I would write children's books for a living. Half of that became the thought process of a eight-year-old child because in school we were always taught, "You can be anything you want to be when you grow up." Well, once you actually "grow-up" you realize those dreams take a great deal more effort than you could imagine. Of course, you lose yourself in the day-to-day struggles of making ends meet and the realization that you need to have a "real" career. So, I put my dreams of being an author on the back burner and went on with life.
It wasn't until I hit my thirties and was happily married with two beautiful children that I started to think to myself, "Why...? Why haven't you moved forward with trying to become that author you have always wanted to be." I also thought back to when my mom passed away when I was nineteen-years-old, and how I knew she didn't get the opportunity to have this meaningful recollection that I was having now. So, I decided one day that I was going to stop all the, "what if"-ing, and I was actually going to make the attempt to make my work known. At this point, it wasn't about making money- I already had a stable career. I wanted to share my stories with children and their families. I wanted to know that when children were getting tucked into bed at night, they were going over to their shelves and choosing MY story. My dream was never to become rich and famous. My dream was to be some child's favorite author and I could never do that if I just kept my tales to myself, tucked away where no one could read them.
That's when I decided to move forward with my writing. I enjoy stories told in rhyme and I also enjoy a good laugh. I believe that laughter truly is the best medicine and a family built on laughter is a strong one.
Since that moment, Jasper the Bold (ish) has been born. Jasper is a boy who is afraid of seemingly everything, but still proclaims he is brave. The story is meant to paint a picture of the fears children have when they're young and also helps let them know that it's totally "okay". Some of Jasper's fears may seem quite bizarre, but it just adds to the silliness.
Some people have asked me where I sprung the thought of such a story. I suppose it's a reflection of the type of child I was when I was younger. I was a true Jasper and was afraid of so many things. As I have gotten older, I realized how silly they were, even though at the time, they were so real to me. I am hoping that my book can, not only make children giggle, but can add a sense of comfort to the other "Jaspers" of the world. I am even willing to bet that the adults skimming through the story will find one of their own fears lurking in the book as well. (I know a few of mine are in there!)
So, what's next?
Stories....more and more stories! In fact, The Meany Monster, is already in the publication process. We should see that creature making its way to stores sometime at the end of Summer or Early Fall 2019- so keep those eyes peeled and a space available on your shelf!