Carl has never had a lot of ambition to be anything but a companion to my husband and I. He has made no attempt to be a super hero or a movie star. Never once has he asked to change his career from a house dog to something more exotic. He appears to be very content being what he is, a pet.
This has not been the case for me. I have always desired to pursue professional growth. For over thirty years, I worked in the classroom with students with special needs. But while in the classroom, I pursued a master’s degree and my national teachers’ boards. Once this was accomplished, I also began teaching for the University of Phoenix.
Once I left teaching, I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew it would be something challenging. I thought about tutoring but it just didn’t seem to work out. During this time of feeling like I had no purpose, I began to write.
At first, I didn’t have much to write about except journaling and writing down my thoughts. But then my father in law was diagnosed with dementia and lung cancer and my life changed drastically. It was at a point of time when my personal calamity intersected with my future conquest of writing.
Two years later, my first book, Here We Go Joe, was published. The book was well received but I didn’t want to spend lots of time promoting myself as an expert in the field of dementia. The book was my personal story and I didn’t feel right representing the multitudes of families that live through the agony of Alzheimer’s.
Since being a teacher for so many years, I have always loved children’s books and wanted to write one. I wasn’t sure what the exact topic was to be until a friend suggested that I write something to do with healthy living.
And this is when Jerry Barry was conceived. The story is about a young boy who doesn’t do well in school due to his unhealthy life style choices. Jerry and his family realize the importance of a healthier life style and learn the basics from Billy, a school friend of Jerry’s.
It is amazing to witness the discussions among young children after reading this book. I have heard many children share about the vegetables that they do enjoy and how they see the benefits of exercise.
One of the coolest parts of this book is the fact that my daughter, Hannah Darrah, did the illustrations through clay animation. Being very sensitive to her art form, she wouldn’t let me release the book until each page met her high standards.
I want to thank all of you for the kind comments and feedback I have received from many of you regarding Carl. As much as I enjoy focusing on the antics of Carl and the lessons that God is trying to teach me, I wanted to share about another writing passion that I have.
Please check out information about my book launch at http://bit.ly/2JruDtk
This blog has been Carl approved.
