Blog Archives
Whimsical Tale
How Flowers Got Their Colors follows a young shepherd living in a quiet valley where the world is stuck in just three colors, who dreams of capturing the colors of the rainbow to brighten the meadow. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This and 18 other stories I made up as nighttime tales for my younger daughter when she was 6 and 7 years old, and is now 36 and has been CEO of the Company! I began the publishing process when I began to have grandchildren!
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
This whimsical tale is intended to convey the power of “sticking to it” or persistence when trying to accomplish something, and a willingness to listen and take a suggestion to heart and follow through to accomplish a goal.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Alejandro Echavez?
When Amplify Publishing and I commenced working together, I was sent a list of 25 artists with samples of their styles. I was asked to pick five, and then those artists sent their interpretation or rendition of a frame or two from one of my stories. Once I had those frames, I was asked to pick two, and Alejandro was one of them. His work is rich and presents the storyline beautifully. He has completed my fifth book, The Lost Locket, and is working on my sixth, Way Up North, a coming-of-age story of a young Eskimo who lives near the North Pole. Alejandro is very accessible and revises and updates his artwork through dialogue and mutual collaboration.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I have completed The Lost Locket, a tale about a little girl who loses an heirloom necklace on the Golden Gate Bridge, which is collected by a pigeon and returned 30 years later when the little girl, now a mother, returns to the Bridge with her daughter. This book will be shipped in several months. The next book, Way Up North, is a story about a coming of age for a young Eskimo who lives near the North Pole and learns how to hunt whales. Alejandro is currently working on the artwork frames for this story, and the book ought to be available sometime early next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Join the shepherd in How Flowers Got Their Colors, a heartfelt story about how dreams, persistence, and a touch of magic can change the world around us. This charming story reminds us that even the simplest wishes can bring remarkable change.
How Flowers Got Their Colors
How Flowers Got Their Colors follows a young shepherd living in a quiet valley where the world is stuck in just three colors. Everything is green, blue, or yellow, and the flowers are plain white. One day, he sees a rainbow after a storm and dreams of capturing those colors to brighten the meadow. After many failed attempts, a bit of clever thinking, and some patience, he finally gathers the rainbow’s magic in his bucket. He pours it into the stream, and suddenly the flowers and everything around him burst into color. It’s simple, whimsical, and full of wonder.
I found myself smiling at how childlike and hopeful the shepherd felt. The writing isn’t complicated, and I like that. It’s a fun bedtime story. The repetition of him trying and failing before finally figuring out how to “sneak up” on the rainbow made me laugh. It carries a sweet message about patience and persistence without ever hammering the point too hard.
The idea of color spilling out into the world and changing everything, even the shepherd’s coat, is delightful. That moment is the kind of payoff kids love because it feels magical and surprising. I also enjoyed how the story leaned into imagination more than logic. Catching colors in a bucket is such a playful idea, and that’s exactly what makes it charming. It made me think of those times as a kid when I’d stare at a rainbow and wonder if I could touch it. The artwork in this picture book is eye-catching. The artwork is full of details that make the valley and the rainbow come alive. I especially liked how the white world transformed into a burst of colors.
I’d recommend this charming children’s book to parents who love reading short, cozy stories with their kids at night. It’s also a great fit for little ones who enjoy whimsical tales with a bit of magic and a happy ending. It feels like a story you’d remember long after because of its gentle charm.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0FC1XT5BS
Ellie’s Dancing Shoes
Ellie’s Dancing Shoes, written by Scott Sollers, tells the sweet and heartfelt story of Ellie, a young girl living in New York City who dreams of becoming a ballerina. Though she practices daily, her self-doubt keeps tripping her up. That changes when her parents give her a pair of her grandmother’s “magical” ballet shoes. With the shoes on her feet, Ellie suddenly finds herself dancing with grace and confidence. But when the shoes are lost right before a big audition, Ellie must face her biggest fear: dancing without them. In the end, a surprising truth comes to light, and Ellie learns that the real magic was inside her all along.
What struck me first was how honestly this children’s book portrayed a child’s inner struggle with self-belief. The writing is simple and clear, but it never talks down to its audience. It’s gentle and warm, with a rhythm that makes it perfect for reading out loud. I loved the way Sollers used the “magic shoes” as a symbol for confidence. The twist at the end, that the shoes weren’t magical at all, felt earned and uplifting. It was one of those rare moments in a children’s story that made me pause and smile. There’s also a great emotional arc: we see Ellie grow, stumble, rise, and eventually stand on her own two feet.
The illustrations by Bryan Janky add a lovely touch. They’re full of motion and emotion, with Ellie’s expressions capturing everything from joy to frustration. The whole picture book carries a warm, nostalgic glow, like a cherished bedtime memory. I also appreciated how the parents supported Ellie, not by solving her problems, but by helping her find her own strength. There’s something really touching about how they carefully recreate the “lost” shoes just to keep her confidence going.
I’d definitely recommend Ellie’s Dancing Shoes to parents, teachers, and anyone raising or working with kids who need a little boost of self-esteem. It’s perfect for children aged 4 to 8, especially those who have a passion, whether it’s dancing, drawing, or just dreaming. It reminded me that a little belief can go a long way, and sometimes the best kind of magic is the kind you make yourself.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0DSGKG1JL
Follow the Rules
Adventures at Lake Omigosh follows two friends at summer camp who go point on the camp’s lake to try and find the mysterious creature that everyone claims lives there. What was the inspiration for your story?
As a youngster, my family would typically spend a week at Liberty Lake, just outside of Spokane Washington, where I was born and raised. The camp I described in Lake Omigosh was very similar to what I experienced. I was also a Boy Scout and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13, which was unusual. So I had plenty of experiences to draw upon, except of course, for the creature!
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The main lesson here is to follow the rules. The boys ignored all three rules about boating: Too late in the day, storm brewing, and no life jackets!!
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with the illustrator Bryan Janky?
Bryan Janky is very talented and was very open to suggestions and collaboration. He is a gem and is involved in another book as well!
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
The next book is called The Dancing Shoes and is being printed now and can be preordered on Mascot and should be available for distribution on Amazon as well in about two months. The next book is called How Flowers Got Their Colors and is in production. The fifth book The Lost Locket On The Golden Gate Bridge is undergoing editing and should be ready for the artwork shortly!
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
For many years, people have claimed to have spotted a mysterious creature drifting on the surface of Lake Omigosh. One day, when Felix and Harry decide to go canoeing, a bad storm arrives, putting the two in real danger. Who will come to their rescue when their canoe flips over and the boys are left stranded in the middle of the lake? Fuel your imagination with Adventures at Lake Omigosh.
Two Communities Happily Uniting
A Tall Tale: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs follows the residents of two communities living on opposite sides of a ridge who end up competing for resources. What was the inspiration for your story?
This story and another dozen stories I created when my younger daughter Stephanie was 6 or so years old. The idea was to relate bedtime stories that were family-oriented and had a challenge or obstacle to overcome with a successful resolution. The “Ostrich” story has two communities rather than a family involved, but there existed a disparate gap in the quality of life between the two communities and finally, the one community that was disadvantaged decided to do something about it. Rather than further divide the communities, their encounter resulted in the two communities happily uniting. My message was to promote a happy conclusion to an uneven situation.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Alejandro Echavez?
My publisher, Amplify Publishing has a portfolio of artists they initially recommend. They provide a list of 25 artists and we (the publisher and I) review their style of work to see what is compatible. We then select five to provide sketches of several scenes from the story and we narrow the list down to two to provide more in-depth illustrations. Alejandro simply stood out! Throughout the process, Alejandro was very responsive to suggestions and recommendations on the art panels. He is a true professional and very creative!
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
In all my work I have tried to introduce elements of sharing, hope, communication, sympathy, and successfully addressing challenges or obstacles in a collaborative fashion. I also try to include some mystical or fantasy elements to make to story interesting and entertaining.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book that is now in production is called Lake Omigosh which is a story about a mountain lake in New Hampshire where a large “creature” is occasionally sighted prompting an exclamation “Oh My Gosh” and the name stuck. The story is about two young boy camp attendees who went out on the lake and ignored the three rules of boating: Avoid bad weather, Don’t go out too late, and Always take your life preservers. The boys are capsized, and how they are rescued is the theme of the story. But, they were lucky!
The other book that has been edited and is having the artwork completed is The Dancing Shoes. It is about a young girl who is desperate to be an accomplished ballerina but lacks confidence and underperforms. Her Mother gives her a pair of ballet shoes she said were Mother’s shoes and she was an accomplished ballerina. The little girl puts them on and is immediately performing much better. Then, she loses the shoes on a bus. Her Mother went out and found some used ballerina shoes and scuffed them up to look like the originals and gave them to her daughter. With the “returned” shoes, she excelled and eventually became the principal dancer for the NY Ballet. The daughter thanked her mother for the shoes being the main ingredient for her success and the Mother said, “They were never my Mother’s shoes. You did this all your own!”
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
The No-Haves, always jealous of the Have-Alls’ pets, decide to gather the Squatz for themselves. What results is a fierce tug-of-war that changes the two communities—and the Squatz—forever!
LITERARY TITAN 