How 4 lines of poetry became a children's book

I've always been a writer. In fact, as much as I love verbal communication, I've always been most comfortable and confident communicating through writing. From writing stories and songs to poetry and notes to loved ones, words seem to come to me, just bursting to get out.

It's no surprise that when my friend got pregnant after years of struggling with painful fertility issues that I wanted to use writing to convey my feelings about it. How do you tell someone you love them when words like "I love you" don't do it justice? How do you express to a baby how much she was truly desired and meant to come at the exact time she was born? 

When conventional words fail to capture these big emotions, poetry is the answer.

I wrote a few lines of poetry and put it in a jeweled frame for my friend's nursery: The sun has been waiting her whole life, and the moon has been waiting too | The stars in the great big wondrous sky have all been waiting for you. Short. Sweet. Seems simple but when you really think about it, the meaning is big.

I couldn't get these lines out of my head. At the time, I had a a toddler and a baby and often found myself unable to capture my feelings about them. As parents, we all know how quickly time passes; things we know we'll never ever forget slip away without us even realizing it. I wanted to capture those feelings and lock them up forever, so the four lines of poetry naturally kept growing - that's how These Words Are for You was born.

These Words Are for You  actually wasn't going to be my first book; I have another manuscript that I thought I would publish first, but there was something about these words that felt more special and important to capture and get into the hands of children, parents, grandparents, teachers, aunts, and uncles everywhere.

These Words Are for You gives children a sense of their place in the beautiful world around them; it connects their being with nature, society, past, and present. It gives them a sense of belonging.

This is the first out of many books I'll be publishing, but I know it's one that will be cherished by adults as much as children for years to come. I'm so excited to share these words with you - you can pre-order your copy now!