I have been a bit negligent over the holiday season when it comes to posting on this blog. Part of the reason is life in general, I 
have two kids, a husband, a job and two adorable pups, and every once in a while, it is ok to pause and take a moment which is exactly what I did.
Taking time to reflect on the publishing journey and look ahead to where this path is leading is important and helps keep things in perspective. Even with the positive response to SOAR and my second book scheduled for release later this year, sometimes doubt creeps in making me wonder if this next book is going to be as well received.
Fortunately, my editor at Schiffer Publishing sent me the cover art and marketing copy over the break and my fear immediately disappeared. As I looked at the cover art created by my amazing illustrator, Angie Hohenadel, I was struck by how well she once again captured the essence of the story and designed a magical world for children to explore through a book. I am truly mesmerized at the visual journey she takes kids on as they follow my words along the page.
And, after stepping away from this next book for a few months, and then seeing it again recently, it made me once again fall in love with the story. I am not saying that in a braggadocios way, but in a heartfelt way since this was the first book I had ever written. The initial copy was created in 2012 and has gone through many revisions, as well as many rejections. 
However, each rejection I received challenged me to create a stronger story which is the story that will be published later this year. Another reason this book is so near and dear to my heart is because it reminds me of an obstacle that I dealt with regularly as a small child which in turn made my parents deal with as well. My hope is other children will read this story, relate to it, and feel empowered to overcome this common childhood obstacle.
Within this post I have added small glimpses into the next book through the illustrated clips. I hope it piques your interest in what’s to come. As always, I encourage you to follow whatever dream you hold dear, it is amazing where it can take you.