While finishing my final edits on “Beneath the Surface” and anticipating the unknown of what would happen when the book was finished, I had a wonderful idea. Similar to the starting process for my other books it hit me from out of nowhere. Divine intervention is a fabulous thing. I had the urge to write a children’s book. I spent so many years working with children and raising my own, it only seemed logical that I should write a children’s book. My kids, yet they are grown and physically and emotionally are close then distant and back again, are still my kids. They will always be my babies. I love each of them differently yet the same. I recently read a quote from Blake Lively saying “I want to be as present of a mother as humanly possible and I want them to feel my presence, but I also think the best way to be the best mother is to show them that you can have a life and have a passion and have an identity outside of just being a mother.” I had so many years full of guilt built up inside me because I left my children to be able to teach other children. This statement Blake Lively made was so empowering for me. I hope my children can see I was as present as I could be while they were growing up. And now I am taking a small step back from having my life intertwined so closely with theirs to allow them to grow on their own and to let them see that I too have a life, a passion and I am not only their mother. My children also understand that if the need strikes I am there for them in a heartbeat!

In my spare time between re-reading and editing “Beneath the Surface” my next empowering move was to put some thought into the children’s book. I wanted to rough out a little of the book to see if it was something that I could make work. The first children’s book was inspired by my youngest daughter. Years ago, when it was time for bed, every night she would ask for a story. She didn’t want me to get one of the many books from her shelves, she always wanted me to tell her a story, a princess story. From that notion came my idea for my first children’s book currently being called “A Princess Story.” This book is co-authored with my little princess, who is now mostly an adult. I decided since we had “A Princess Story” we also needed “A Prince Story”. Each of these books have an educational component to them (yet still fun) but you will have to wait to see those books. For me, these books were a light filled with hope. “Beneath the Surface” was stressful to write at times but ends on a happy and positive note. I wanted to bring that joy to a different audience via a new book.

I thought I was ready to get to work on the children’s books as “Beneath the Story” was being released. What I never took into consideration was how anyone would find out that I wrote my original book. Luckily between my marketing people (@SteveKidd) and my publisher (@Geemorganpublishing) they set me up with some great podcasts and publicity. However, this meant I needed to step up my marketing for “Beneath the Surface” and the children’s books were put on hold.