After the success of my self published book Too Many Poodles in 2019, illustrator Dave Howard (aka Uncle Dave from Uncledavesbooks.com) and I went to work co-writing a book titled Green Pickle Juice for the popular Pittsburgh, Pa festival “Picklesburgh”. We released it with relish 😉 in October of 2019.
We were all set to attend the 2020 Picklesburgh festivities, and I was ready to launch my first children’s chapter book, Elsewhereville, in late spring of 2020 with an endless schedule of book signings and events planned for that summer…
BUT to quote poet Robert Burns, “In proving forsight may be vain: The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men”…We all know how that goes.
Instead I found myself turning into a full time gardener for two months and too overwhelmed to write a word for many more. I have lain low, lain down, lain waste and in that lull I’ve found some unexpected strength which, as any good author might do, I’ve passed on to my female protagonists when I did find myself writing again.
In the in between I didn’t so much find new strength as discover hidden strength I’ve had all along. So it goes for my characters Myrtle Hitchabocker from my chapter book Elsewhereville and Lula from the picture book Lula The Leprechaun.
I’ve got a lot planned for 2022. Besides Elsewhereville and Lula, I’m proud to be working again with Janeen Payne (from Too Many Poodles) on picture book, You Can’t Ride A Cat, and with Phoebe Shuttleworth on an anime-influenced picture book titled Alligator’s Baby Teeth. Whatever 2022 brings my way I’m stronger now because in the lull I’ve managed to restore, regroup, rebrand and rebuild.
Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/melaniejvogel.author for more information about my upcoming Christmas 2021 giveaway.
Melanie J. Vogel 