Oh my gosh - It’s happening.
So, here we are.
Yesterday, on May 3rd, 2025, my first children’s book, Brave Enough - Atlan and the Farm Animals, was announced by The Word Verve! I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. What I do know is that I had an idea pop into my head about two years ago and I HAD to start drawing it. I started with three or four concept images and then - as things go - it sat for a long time while I began work on another project. Why? Because I’d never developed a children’s book before. That other project? Oh, just The Immortal Witness. My first ever crazy-big fantasy novel that happily took over my life. Once that was done and in the hands of the editor - I found myself drumming my fingers and looking for something to keep the creative juices flowing! And there sat these handful of illustrations: giant animals staring down at these little, defenseless creatures that represented my timid son, Atlan.
In that moment, I felt like those defenseless creatures. The children’s book world was that giant chicken towering over me with its massive scrutinizing eyeball. My know-how hadn’t changed in the year and half that had passed. I still didn’t know how to do a children’s book!
So, I cracked my research knuckles, ordered a few best-seller children’s books, and got to work. I called up my editor/publisher Janet Fix at The Word Verve and explained what I was getting up to - and she wholeheartedly supported my fumbling around with promises of support once I had the images and script complete.
I wish that were it. Easy-peasy-pumpkin-squeezy. Ta-da! Here’s the book! But it wasn’t. Getting Brave Enough to a finished and refined product took a lot of work! Draft after draft. Rewrite after rewrite. That learning curve was so steep, that I’m still not even sure I was tall enough to ride that roller coaster - But, here we are. Ready for publication. And it’s work that I’m proud of.
Sidenote: Atlan, my 3-year-old, actually helped name it. I had another name for the longest time but it wasn’t sitting just right. Then here comes Atlan at the perfect time saying over and over “I’m brave enough” to get through the tough challenges of the day. Like a two-by-four to the forehead- it hit me. He was telling me the name of his own book.
If you’re still here and interested in preordering the book - please check out my publisher’s website. There’s a sweet discount going on, and of course, I appreciate your support. Check it out here!
Anyway - thanks for reading. Stay tuned. I’m just getting started.