The Little Book of Quotes by Women is a delightful, compact collection of 365 quotes from influential women who have graced U.S. postage stamps. Where did the idea for this book come from and how did it develop over time?

When I was in fifth grade, I was late for class and the teacher made me write “To thine own self be true” on the blackboard 100 times in front of the entire class. Needless to say, it was embarrassing. It taught me a lesson to never be late again as well as led me down a path of collecting quotes. I published my collection of favorite quotes in The Little Book of Gratitude Quotes in 2011.

The quote “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty” by Maya Angelou was my favorite, it reminds me that growing is not easy. Do you have a favorite quote from this book and why?

Quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt have always been my favorites, including “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” This quote has inspired me for many years and especially inspired me to have a dream of being a writer, hold onto the hope of that dream, and to hopefully make a difference in the lives of others with books.

Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?

I started working on the first edition of this book more than a decade ago and published it in 2014. About a year ago with the debut of the stamp of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I noticed two things. First off, I realized that the stamps were much more ornate and life-like. Second, I realized that there were many new stamps of women I admired from Betty Ford, Lena Horne, Toni Morrison, and Sally Ride to the women who appeared on the Underground Railroad series including Harriet Tubman and Harriet Jacobs. That is when I decided to update the book and include biographical information about all the women who have appeared on U.S. Postage Stamps over the past 130 years.

What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?

In 2025, I am looking forward to the publication of my next picture books which all feature animals as storytellers: Be WHOO You Are, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sea Star, and Whoo! Hoo!Hoo! The Carousel at the Zoo. I am currently working on a series of middle grade ocean mystery books tentatively titled Shell Shocked about two friends who tend to sea turtles and wild horses on an island.

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