“Write a blog!” they said.
“What do I write about,” replied the Children’s Book Author – you can appreciate the irony.
“It’s just like having a conversation,” they said.
“But where do I begin?” replied the Children’s Book Author.
“With the first word,” they said.
Hello!
If you are reading this post, then you have probably landed on my website. Thank you for visiting and thank you, Peter Wooster, at Silver Maple Web Design and Development (www.silvermapleweb.com), for making this introduction possible.
I am delighted to meet you and excited to use this platform to have a conversation with you about my children’s books, my experiences as a parent advocate supporting children who learn with difficulty, the Dyslexie Font, and anything else I can share. As it turns out, parents need just as much support advocating for their children, and I am happy to share what I have learned on my journey. You will find many of these experiences interwoven in my stories, which I hope will inspire and assist you.
You already know a little about me from the About page. When my children were very young, we had a nighttime story routine. Sometimes it would include reading actual books, and sometimes we would make up our own stories. As much as the kids loved their classic stories, they loved making up their own. It was during those times that I made a promise to myself. I would write a story for each of my children and leave them a memory of the special times we shared. You could consider it a labour of love. Fast forward 20 years and mission accomplished! Out of that promise came an unexpected gift – a passion for writing. As I continue on this journey, my goal is to provide stories that ignite a passion for reading, and just for a little while, provide a safe place where children can get lost in a world of love, friendship, comfort, and understanding.
Two book series are underway. The first is the Hippo series, inspired by my daughter, and the second is the Golf Series, inspired by my son. Having added a new member to our family in the past six months, I envision a third series inspired by Ellie, our mini golden doodle.
The first book in the Hippo series, “I Dreamed About a Hippopotamus in a Lipstick Factory,” was published in 2016. It is the first in a series helping young children cope with impactful life changes. I have watched my daughter struggle and overcome many challenges in her young life, and she has inspired me to help other children and their parent advocates. This first book is about friendship, coping with change (of home and school), finding value in your own unique gifts and talents, and realizing that you are beautiful just as you are. This series will continue because I have learned, from speaking with parents and through my own experiences, that there are a lot of things that young kids worry about and struggle with. If you would like a preview, visit the Books section of my website to download a few chapters.
The first book in the Golf series, “The Magic of Golf at Hook’s Hideaway – Eric’s Story,” is in the final stages of publication. It is the first in a series targeting reluctant readers. My son was a reluctant reader from a young age, and there were very few books that would interest him. It was then that I decided to write this first story, which chronicles his golf journey with his dad. Golf has been his passion from a very young age, and how can you not want to read about something that you love! What is unique about this book is that its format targets reluctant readers. It is divided into three books, giving the reader the option of tackling one smaller book at a time. If they need a break after reading the first one, they can do so with a sense of accomplishment. One book down, two to go! If the story draws them in, they can continue to the next two books without having to make another trip to the bookstore. It also teaches children the basics of golf (history, rules, etiquette, technique), not to mention the unwritten rules of being a good sportsman and a good human being. This series will continue, and a preview is also available in the Book section of my website. The expected release timeframe is January 2020.
All of my books will be written using a font called the Dyslexie font. Developed by Graphic Designer, Christian Boer, and based on his journey, this font was created to help those struggling with Dyslexia. I decided to use this font in my books because I think all readers could benefit from it. My observations in using the font so far are that the letters are easy to identify and spaced nicely, allowing the reader to recognize where a sentence begins and ends. I think that books written in this font would be beneficial to all readers and anyone who struggles with reading. Learn more about its origins here: https://www.dyslexiefont.com/en/our-story/.
“How did it go?” they asked.
“It was easier than I thought,” replied the Children’s Book Author.
“Will you keep blogging?” they asked.
“The conversation will continue!” replied the Children’s Book Author.