August 2005

My daughter is born.  I realize I kiss her a LOT.  I write a poem about kissing your child a million times.

December 2008

After reading the awesome book The Best Year of Your Life by Debbie Ford, I set the goal to send my poem to any children’s book publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts.  Armed with a copy of Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market (a gift from my brother), I do this as part of my new year’s resolution for 2009.  I mailed about five ms to some dream publishers.  No offers.

February 2012

I contact a local magazine, The WC Press, about their publication; as a result, I begin writing a monthly column about events in our borough.

December 2013

After realizing it’s been five years and I lost my steam, I decided to try my luck again.  This time, I just emailed attachments of my book.  I get a few bites, but no offers.

December 2014

I go to a local literacy event, Read2Dream, and a local teacher and author reads his self published book.  I realize that I was a little jealous and resolve to research yet again.  I decide to cover this event for my column.  A few months later, the woman who runs the event, Carol Baker, realizes I teach in the same district and emails me in thanks of me giving her publicity.  I find out she’s retiring and she asks me if I can be an ambassador and set up a student club at the high school to help her with her organization.

June 2015

I take out Carol Baker for a celebration lunch.  We instantly bond and make plans to change the world.  She explains her relationship with a local children’s book publisher, Bruce Larkin.

Summer 2015

I have a few meetings with Bruce.  He reads my ms.  He likes it and says he’ll publish my book.  I just need to make sure I’m “1,000% sure” I like the book the way it is.  I solicit feedback from my Facebook moms’ group and I send him back the final final draft, along with illustration suggestions.

December 2015

One year after attending the Read2Dream literacy event, I am now sitting at a table next to my publisher, handing out cards promoting my book (and this site), due out in April 2016.

*Times are approximate, as things tend to blur together and I am only now attempting to document this long, crazy ride!