Unexpectedly, I had to have my second hip replaced in December. But even with pre-surgery pain and post-surgery pain, some writing and progress with books being published has been happening!
Truckin’, my next picture book, is due out in September. The illustrations by Angela Poon are complete and I really love them. That’s one at the top, of the girl in the story and her mom. Mom’s a long-haul truck driver, and her daughter and their dog travel with her. There are several truckers in my family, and this story is based on the real-life experience of my sister-in-law, Cheryl. The publisher is Owlkids.
Owlkids is also the publisher of When Bryn’s Ear Went Quiet. I’ve seen the beautiful art for that one too, although it won’t be out until 2026. Waiting – patiently or not – is a requirement of the book/writing life. Ellen Rooney is the illustrator of this book, and again, I’m so happy with the illustrations.
It’s always interesting and exciting to see the visual representation of your text for the first time. Both of these books’ illustrations are gorgeous. I’ve learned over time, however, to try and keep my mind free of visual expectations, so that I greet the illustrations without an overlay of expectation or preconceived ideas. It’s simpler that way, and honours the work of the illustrator, whose contribution, after all, is half of the book.
There’s another picture book in the works, but it’s not quite wrapped up yet, so will wrote more on that later.
