Franklin P. Rabbit

"Franklin P. Rabbit" - mixed media on aquabord, 20" x 16".  Available here and at Artfinder.

​If you've been following my dizzying summer, you know I am t-minus one week until spine surgery.  And I am completely terrified.  Thank goodness there are literally eight million things on my to-do list to keep my monkey mind from spinning.  Painting, of course, but also preparing our home for a little recovery time and making lots of soup and soft foods (which the doc says I will want, but I wish he had prescribed cake and donuts instead).

But twinkling and humming beneath it all is a heartfelt, casebound, full color illustrated book of charming magic and twisting tales called The Storyteller's Apprentice​ which is just weeks from landing on my doorstep.

Publishing a book is like birthing a baby...if you are an elephant with a long, LONG gestation.  Years go by while creators create quietly in their writing nooks and painting studios.  If you are lucky, a publisher will raise an eyebrow and express interest once you tiptoe into the world of asking to go to print.  EEK!  It is like asking to be mowed down by a hundred thousand NOs  before that soft well maybe.  We were some of the lucky ones who received a whispered yes.

And that is when the next marathon begins.  Editing, tweaking, rewrites, repaints, ranting and hair-pulling and stomping of feet.  One day, the editor says "hey - it's time to print this thing" and you fling yourself onto the sofa for a week-long binge of HGTV and chocolate and, well, maybe a glass (or vat) of wine.  Until the reality of um, well marketing sets in.

Geez oh man!  Now you are REALLY working!  All-nighters on website conundrums and press releases and promotional materials.  Event planning and people pleasing and begging and dragging yourself to bed in the wee hours with lists of things to tackle in the morning. 

And then the editor shows you a proof of some of the book pages...and it is like seeing an ultrasound of the baby elephant.  Suddenly you forget all the years and hair-loss and days of dragging butt.  Your eyes light up and get misty and you're all "oh my goodness OH MY GOODNESS" and feeling like the luckiest human on earth.

I know, I know.  The diaper stage of a baby elephant is nearly here.  Once this baby is born there will likely be less sleep, piles of stinky poo and a whole lot of crying.  But right now all I can say is "isn't she CUTE???????"

Pre-orders for The Storyteller's Apprentice begin August 1, with shipping in early September.  Follow the book on Facebook and like our giant baby on Twitter.