July 4th 2024

What an honor it was to be in my hometown, Morning Sun, IA which was the birthplace of my book Annie’s 4th of July, to participate in the town’s annual Independence Day celebration on the 3rd and 4th.  It was almost surreal being there, as I was flooded with memories of celebrating this important day as a child, as a teenager, as a mother of two daughters who participated in the activities, and now as a grandma watching my precious grandchildren participate in the very same activities.  The book came alive as I watched children and adults participate in events as described in the book -  the frog jumping contest, the water balloon toss, the parade, the slurping of yummy snowcones and as I heard the “Oos” and “Awhs” as the fireworks burst into the nighttime sky.

Celebrating America’s birthday in my hometown seemed to bring Annie’s story full circle from conception, to development, to publication, and finally to the in-person rollout.  It certainly was an exciting adventure for me as I began a whole new career by writing this heartwarming children’s picture book.  I now look forward to sharing Annie’s 4th of July and the themes found in her story with elementary students during the 2024-25 school year. 

Remember to “Be brave…face your fears one step at a time like Annie”. 

 ~Jeanne~ 🙂🇺🇸🎆🎇

Annie's 4th of July now Amazon's "Bestseller"

Oh my goodness how time flies!  I am embarrassed to say it has been over 2 weeks since I wrote my last blog.  A lot has happened since then that I want to share with you.  

Launch day was a blast!!!  My interview with Miriam Laundry went very well, thanks to Miriam’s calm demeanor and encouraging words.  It was actually fun to talk about what prompted me to write Annie’s 4th of July and to share my highs and lows during the writing and publishing processes.  Thank you Miriam!!

I am beyond humbled and tremendously grateful to so many people who supported me and Annie’s 4th of July on June 4, Launch Day.  

As a result of the support I received, Annie’s 4th of July reached Amazon’s “Bestseller” status in all three categories that were selected for my story and was the #1 New Release in children’s books for a whole week.  I couldn’t be more thrilled and more amazed!  

A huge thank you to all who supported me along the way and on Launch Day & Week.

After the book’s launch, things did not slow down but rather quite the opposite…the pace picked up even more!  Selling and signing books at Farmers’ Markets and community events has kept me very busy but has been so much fun!  

Viola, MN Gopher Count Days

Now, on to the 4th of July where Annie’s story all began…in Morning Sun, IA.  On the 3rd, I will be reading in two different libraries in the afternoon and setting up a table at the annual Alumni Banquet in the evening.  On the 4th, I will set up a booth in front of the library until I pull my wagon mini-float in the annual parade.  Of course, I will delight in watching my grandchildren participate in the frog jumping and water balloon contests and watch them enjoy eating delicious snow cones and be amazed at the spectacular fireworks show.   I can’t wait for the fun to begin at this very special community celebration!!   Until next time…Be brave and face your fears, one step at a time like Annie. 

2 Days Until Launch Day

With only 2 days until Annie’s 4th of July Launch on Tuesday June 4, I want to share some highlights of my journey writing this book with you.  

For about 7 years, I had been thinking of writing a story that captures my love of the 4th of July celebration in Morning Sun, my rural hometown in southeast Iowa.  As a child, I couldn’t wait for the town’s celebration to arrive each summer.  As an adult, I loved watching my daughters participate in the children’s activities and watching their excitement as they gazed at the beautiful fireworks show.  Now as a grandmother, I am blessed to be able to watch my grandchildren as they join in on the frog jumping contest and the big wheel races, and eat the refreshing snow cones.  

For years I have pondered the value of annual community celebrations.  I know that my family has built lasting 4th of July traditions spanng four generations.  No matter what state my siblings and I lived in, almost every summer we trekked back to our home of origin in Morning Sun to be with each other, attend class reunions and the alumni banquet, cheer for each other in fun contests, be in or watch the parade together, and sit and “oo and awe” during the longest lasting fireworks show in rural America.  

Last August an interesting post popped up unexpectedly on my personal facebook page.  Miriam Laundry was offering a course on Learning How to Become A Childrens’ Picture Book Author.  I had retired a year earlier and had begun thinking more seriously about writing this book but I honestly didn’t know how to begin.  When this post appeared, I felt this was a God wink directed toward me.  In recent years, I have tried to be alert to God’s various ways of communicating with me…through nature (ask me about rainbows in 2009), listening to Christian podcasts, talks with friends, reading Bible verses/passages, and listening to Christian praise songs on the radio.  

After researching the course, I joined the cohort and learned from Miriam and her very skilled staff as I knew next to nothing about writing a children’s story.  Who knew that a children’s picture book is limited to 600-1000 words…a real challenge for wordy me!!  The editor in Miriam’s course, Sharon Jennings, was also a godsend.  She has written over 70 children’s books so knows the 4 years - 8 years age group extremely well.  Her editing suggestions were spot on and made the story so much stronger, more relatable, and developmentally  appropriate.  

Finding an illustrator was another God wink.  I Googled “Children’s book illustrators in my area” which resulted in six finds.  I researched their websites and saw their individual styles and reached out to one in particular.  I loved her illustrations and we connected well online.  After negotiating a contract, another new experience, I learned that she didn’t actually live close to me at all but three states to the west of me!  I don't know why Google said she lived closeby but I interpreted it as a God thing.  I am so thankful to have found Anna-Maria Crum as my illustrator.  The details she added in each picture will surely bring children back to the book over and over again to discover something new in the illustrations.

Now that Launch Day is right around the corner, I have a mixture of emotions…excitement, fear, happiness, anxiety to mention a few.  Although I felt I didn’t exactly know where I was going, especially with the marketing plans, I had a tremendous support system to help guide me.  Miriam Laundry’s Book Mastermind Team and Publishing Team are incredibly professional, skilled, and helpful.  Without their guidance, my book still wouldn’t be written.  I also had a significant amount of help from a young woman, Carly Halgrimson, who is very knowledgeable about social media, which I am not.  Without her help, I would still be fumbling trying to figure out how to make an author’s webpage and facebook page, and how to create and post instagram posts/reels.  Thank you for your patience, Carly. 

A definite highlight has been reading Annie’s 4th of July to approximately 750 PreK - 6th grade students in two separate school districts.  I loved reading the story and discussing the illustrations with the children and look forward to many more school presentations. The students seemed genuinely excited about the story and related well to the carnival rides, fun contests/games, and snow cone treats.  

My hope is that children and families will enjoy Annie’s story and illustrations, talk over how to handle situations that don’t always turn out the way you think they will, and discuss how to gradually demonstrate bravery over individual fears.  

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and cheered for me during this nine month journey.  Launch Day will be a huge milestone!  I wouldn’t be at this point without your help and encouragement.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

No matter what happens on Launch Day with sales and Amazon hits, I am so thankful that I embarked on this new journey!  Even though the writing and publishing of the book is completed, I feel like it is just a beginning.  Who knows what the future holds for Annie’s 4th of July and for me as the author?  Stay tuned!!