Lately, many people have asked me:
So… what about that kids’ book you were going to write?
Well, it’s already written. In fact, several are in the works, but two are in the final polishing stages:
- Tell Me About Grandma: a picture book and family journal for kids who never knew a grandparent who’s died
- The Denim Jungle: an imaginative adventure celebrating a toddler’s unique perspective
I was compelled to write the first for my infant daughter, after we lost her beloved Grandmas Suzy and Shirley. When I couldn’t find any such books for my own child, I was inspired to use the idea to help other families as well.
The second book was a promise I made to Sue, a dream she had gotten from her son (my husband) and asked me to bring to reality.
The issue hasn’t been writing them. It’s been publishing them. And for two years, I’ve been trying to figure out which way to go with that: attending workshops, going to kids’ book conferences, enrolling in weekend publishing seminars, picking the brains of book friends over coffee and email, etc.
When I wasn’t doing that, I was busy freelancing for a card game company and holding down the fort while my husband was launching a new video game. Oh, and then there’s this little job of being a mom…
But today, as we head off to Hawaii for some much-needed family down time, I’m mentally towing my books along with me.
With Baby-to-Be due date in April, I know much of the year will be focused on the new gift (and challenge) of adding another member to our family, further kicking my book dream down the road.
But my plan is to have some sort of immediate goal, no matter how small, when I get back from vacation. I need a realistic commitment to work toward between now and April, and I’m hoping the warmth of the sun, the sound of the surf, and the feel of volcanic sand between my toes can help with that. (Hey, if not, it will be fun trying, right?)
But rest assured: My book “babies” are far from forgotten. There’s not a day that goes by that they don’t stir restlessly in my soul.
If one of these books particularly interests you, please note it in the comments below. I’d really love your feedback.
Your support means the world to me on this journey, and I can’t wait to have a tangible book to place in your hands to thank you for it.
It may not be this year, and it definitely won’t be tomorrow, but it will happen.
In loving memory,
Angela
My Castle Heart Publications 
I think “Tell Me About Grandma” is not only a lovely idea, but a very marketable one. It has a very specific reason for being, which I think ought to be appealing to publishers. The challenge, maybe, is that it’s not a book everyone wants/needs to buy when they see it in the store–it’s for a specific family, one who has a small child and has lost a grandparent. That’s an argument you’ll have to overcome with publishers, perhaps in part by explaining that now that many of us are having kids later, we are losing grandparents earlier…making this book continually helpful for families going forward.