******* DRUM ROLL, PLEASE *******

dante2The official release of my first children’s book is today, and I’m thrilled! It took years to write, revise, get illustrations for, and publish this book. Years ago, I submitted it to a publisher. They requested illustrations. Knowing little about illustrating, I eventually found someone, and was able to scrape up money to pay him. Then, it all went nowhere. I heard nothing back from the publisher. I followed up. Still nothing. A few years after that, I revised the piece, again, participated in writing workshops, and received feedback from other writers. All of this made the story stronger, and I was happy. Then, I sent it to agents. One said, “I don’t think people want to read about a stinky ferret.” Fair, enough. Of course the author, Berniece Freschet, of Skunk Baby might have something to say about that. Still, I didn’t give up. I sent it to more agents, including one well-known in the industry. She sent me a personal message, as did a few others. Now, I was receiving feedback that they liked the story, and my ferret, Dante, but it didn’t fit their lists, or they couldn’t take on anyone new …

I’m sharing all of this to let you know, that if you’re a writer, and you want to publish, nothing can stop you, but you.  Write the best story you can. Keep studying the craft of writing. Get a team in place who can help you with editing, cover design, formatting — all the things the Big publishers would do — if you plan to indie publish. (Learning all of the different aspects of publishing is a lot of fun. I can’t believe how much I still don’t know. Luckily, there are tons of resources available, and many authors, with more experience, who are willing to share their expertise.) You’re not alone in this new publishing world unless you want to be.

I hope you enjoy Dante. It’s a great gift idea for the children in your life. Ultimately, the story of Dante is about finding your forever family, in a world where someone keeps taking the ones you already consider to be your family, away. It’s a non-threatening way to explore a potentially tough topic with children.

Get your copy HERE. The print version will be available, soon!

If you’d like a signature for your ebook, check out Authorgraph.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

KDM