It’s one thing if you have SUPER EXCITING NEWS to share, but it’s an entirely different thing if you have AMAZING FRIENDS with whom to share it! I’m outrageously blessed right now to have BOTH ❤️!

When I received my contract to sign for I Wish I was Big, the entire experience took my breath away. Everything was brand new and shiny and uber intimidating. After several years of learning the ropes a bit, I can still say that I am relatively clueless acquiring new knowledge with each experience. The “brand-newness” of it all has worn off a bit, but my uncertainty and lack of confidence still remains at times – lurking around the corner at a public event or popping up at a signing. I suppose it’s always good to be just a tad nervous and hesitant when jumping out of your comfort zone, ensuring that your focus is not on looking good, but on performing well. I’d have to say that of all the things I imagined going wrong, none have – yet… There’s still still for that other shoe to drop, I suppose.  Anywho, what I’m trying to get across is that the last several years have been both exciting and scary, exhausting and exhilarating, fun and frustrating… A well rounded bundle of the emotional equivalent to a roller coaster ride.

And ~ I’m ready to do it AGAIN 😊 I received word recently, that my 2nd manuscript has been accepted and production will begin in March. Craziness, I tell you! This time, when I found out, it was a different mix of emotions. Pure excitement, yes, but also a bit of a racing heart, knowing what the process has waiting for me. My anxiety the first time was due to the unknown. This time around, I’m fully aware, and equally nervous.  Production is detail oriented, nerve wrecking, and a lot of hurry up and wait. It’s also completely fulfilling to see some of the things in my wild and crazy head find their way to the pages of a book. It’s still so hard for me to believe. But, it becomes easier to believe as I begin editing and am required to meet deadlines in hopes of staying on track and not pushing my release date further back. I am praying that my experience with the first book will help prepare me and maybe even put me ahead of the game a bit. But yes, sometimes life has a way of sneaking up on you and throwing your schedule into the blender. I am ready for that – and even if I’m not, we are headed into production and my heart flutters a bit faster each and every time I think about it!

This book is a bit different than the first. It rhymes – which, if you read my last blog about words, you know makes me very happy. I love to write poems ~ for holidays, anniversaries, grocery lists – what have you. Reading a book out loud that has rhyming words puts a smile on my face… And yours, too {I HOPE!}.  I wrote this particular story almost 3 years ago. I was sitting alone with my Dad in his ICU hospital room after he had a stroke. My mind was full of thoughts and emotions and somehow, a story came spilling out. I typed it up in the “Notes” section of my IPhone – which is quite the endeavor, with my fat fingers.  It holds a special place in my heart. It will forever remind me of a very scary time in my life that I was able to navigate with the help of my family and friends. It is the same reading level as the first book, ages 0-7 approximately. The characters in the book will also be familiar, since once again they are my very own children – a wealth of material!

Stay tuned for more information as I progress through production. I am so excited to be able to share this crazy ride with all of you😊❤️📚