The Countdown is On

My debut picture book will hit the shelves July 23, 2019, and I’ll be counting the months down on Instagram. In celebration of my book’s 11-month pre-birthday, read on for 11 fun facts about the book!

1. It’s a picture book! And as I always say, picture books are for everyone.
2. I wrote the story, and the fabulous Birgitta Sif is creating the illustrations (as we speak).
3. I’ve seen one finished illustration and a handful of sketches, and they ALL made me weep 😭
4. My editor is Jennifer Adams, author of the Baby Lit board book series, which I’ve been collecting for years.
5. I submitted this manuscript in the Fall of 2016, a few months after attending my first writing conference, Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, where I attended Jen’s Friday afternoon class.
6. I got my offer of publication on April 6, 2017, the day after I randomly ran into my editor at Sugarhouse Park. (So much serendipity in this whole process!)
7. I received and signed my contract later that summer, in between cuddling and feeding my new baby boy.
8. My book is a grief allegory, born of a devastating loss I experienced in 2015. I needed somewhere to put those feelings, and this story emerged.
9. I tried (at least) three completely different approaches to this story before finding its current path.
10. The details of the story itself bear no resemblance to the loss I experienced; my aim was to capture the universal aspects of grief, in hopes of helping children who have experienced loss to understand what they’re feeling and realize they’re not alone. AND to help any child feel more empathy for those who grieve.
11. My book is titled My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon, and it’s brimming with heartache, touches of humor, and plenty of hope. Watch for it in a bookstore near you July 23, 2019.