“Everyone says the sky is blue but I know its purple and orange and pink. I’ve met dogs that can talk and seen diamonds wash ashore because I see what’s there, not what I’ve been told too.” –Laura Hill
When my daughters first asked me to help them write a book I thought, gahds!how do I do that. I was working under deadline to finish an article for a magazine and I didn’t want to stop. But Ava and Kayla kept asking me and when children are persistent you know that it’s important. We brainstormed for three months to write King Arthur and the Werewolves of Camelot, which is the second book in the series but the first one we wrote. Ava, who was five made up the character of Jilly, a fairytale expert who could solve any magical mystery. Kayla was 8 and much more mature, she wrote about Penelope a real world minded girl who solved her problems like puzzles with science and logic.
Now, five books later, Ava and Kayla have become experts at story writing and illustration, researching and fleshing out their own story lines that we all collaborate on. I am left with the task of pulling it all together. It’s been a lot of work but has come with many perks. Ava and Kayla have gotten to meet some of their favorite authors, they have been on a TV talk show, attended big book conventions in NYC and learned the ropes of publishing as well as web design and promotion.
But I think the best thing that’s happened to us is that together we pull this off. We win together, we lose together and we bring our knowledge and inspiration to children in schools all across America. We know that if we can follow our dreams and do this, other children can too! And we are happy our books make other people smile.
