Our horse: Paramount Prince
The horse turned away at auction, that took us on a spiritual journey all the way to The King’s Plate and beyond. This story continues to write itself and is becoming quite well known.
WIRE TO WIRE: Paramount Prince
Creative Nonfiction
Follow Paramount Prince’s journey from a small-time breeder to a struggling new trainer working for rookie owners, all the way to The King’s Plate; the longest continuously run, and arguably most prestigious horse race in North America. Miraculously the whole experience helps heal the heart of the narrator who is struggling to deal with guilt over losing her son to drugs.
Trigger warning: This story mentions child abuse, mental health issues, and drug addiction.
Kids Being Kids
Watching my grandkids enjoying the natural world with curiosity and wonder reminds me of my childhood. Some things never change.
Carrie Anne’s Sunday Best
375 words Picture Book
Sometimes a kid just needs to be a kid, but being all dressed up means no fun allowed. It stinks having to be “pretendable” for church and a croaky call to come play is too hard to resist. One thing leads to another and, just as her parents are ready to leave, Carrie Anne sees she is not presentable. No problem, she’s got this. At least until the wordless punchline on the last page.
My Dog
This is Heidi, the 4lb Papillon dog who brightens my every day with cuddles, kisses, and bouncy balls. Heidi tries desperately to be respected by the big dogs but doesn’t have much luck.
My Name Is Not Fluffy Butt
300 words Picture Book
Size-shaming is a thing. At least it is to Darby, who thinks small dogs get no respect. No one calls a Great Dane ‘Fluffy Butt’. A Labrador Retriever doesn’t get stuck in a laundry sink like a pair of dirty underwear. A husky would never have to wear a bow on her head. Things get stinky when Darby tries to be like the big dogs.
Seeing THAT Look
Isn’t it funny when a group of experienced people are brainstorming about a problem and, hearing their complicated plans, someone less experienced offers the simple, obvious solution? I’ve seen it and I love it. If an illustrator can put THAT look on a bunch of barnyard buddies, this picture book will be hilarious.
Shady Hill Farm
385 words Humorous Picture Book
The fun is in the fact that, except for the chicken, everyone overlooks the obvious, including the reader, in this story that has the common themes of greener grass coming at a price and community pulling together to solve a problem.
My Parents
My mother had a superstition for everything, and my father had notoriously bad luck. Giving those traits to a pair of young siblings led to a fun combination for a picture book.
Silly Superstitions
520 words - Humorous Picture Book
With slapstick humor and repetition, SILLY SUPERSTITIONS equals super-silly fun when a simple walk down the street becomes a catastrophe.