What is the name of your books?

Late for St. Paddy’s Day

Self published. The children’s book is available in hardcover, paperback, and an e-book version at Amazon. Also, the story is available on IngramSpark and Barnes and Noble (online only).

Give us a short summary of your work.

Being brave isn’t always easy, but being a good friend can be.

Murphy the Leprechaun is a good friend, but not very brave. He’s the only leprechaun who won’t travel alone through Barna Woods, even though it’s the best way to get to the St. Paddy’s Day party. The shadows from the trees and animal noises always gives him the heebie-jeebies!

Knowing he mustn’t be late to help set up for the party, Murphy decides to travel on a path around the forest and not through it. He plans to keep his fear a secret. The lad even sprinkles O’Fairy dust on his buckled shoes to give him extra pep in his steps.

Along his journey, his friends call for help inside Barna Woods. Will Murphy have the courage to go in there? What will Murphy do?

Read about Murphy and his St. Paddy’s Day adventure. The story includes themes of selflessness, kids helping kids, and overcoming fears. It is a sweet story for children of all ages.

Also, there a pre-reading vocabulary page that include authentic Irish facts (e.g. Culture/Irish language/animals/environment)

Tell us a bit about your path to publishing, from idea to submission to publication.

My ethnicity is mostly Irish and growing up, our family always celebrated St Patrick’s Day. The main character, Murphy was inspired from my sweet son, John.  The title of the book came from a story my mom told me. She shared with me that I was born two weeks late, and to this day, I’m still running late.

The publishing journey was challenging, educational, and rewarding. For example, as a self published author, the creative process was my favorite part. However, it also required that I promote my book, which has been the most challenging area because of my lack of experience. In the beginning, my goal was to only write one book and check it off my bucket list. After completing the book, I realized it was a passion that I wanted to pursue further.

How long have you been writing?

I have been in the education field for over 20 years, and my main audience for my writing has been my students and son. Outside of class, I love to write in my daily journal. However, recently, I published my first children’s book and my audience has expanded outside my classroom and home. I’m super excited too.

What’s your favorite genre to write and why?

As an educator working with elementary children, I enjoy writing and reading children’s literature the most. It can be either informational or fictional. I enjoy them both equally. Many children’s stories are written in an entertaining and engaging way with a positive message embedded in beautiful illustrations.

Which ICL or IFW courses have you taken?

Writing for Children and Teens

How has taking our courses helped your writing and/or career?

The course and my coach/teacher helped me improve my writing skills (grammar, story structure, descriptive language, voice, etc,). Most importantly, I gained confidence and knowledge of the writing process. Now, I am a published author and it feels great!

Have any of your class assignments been published?

Yes, one of my assignments evolved into my first published book called Late for St. Paddy’s Day.

Do you have a favorite writing tip you’d like to share?

I have a few of them. First, keep a journal of special moments you have shared with loved ones. Sometimes those memories make the best stories because they are easier to write about since you have experienced them. Second, surround yourself with people that also enjoy writing. Being around others that share my passion have inspired me to write my best ideas and get great feedback too, Also, I keep a journal on my night stand because good ideas can come late at night or early in the morning.

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of writing advice, what would it be?

I’d go back to when I started writing my book and remind myself to keep going, takes breaks as needed, but don’t give up! Also, continue to journal your ideas and write about topics that are important to you and others at least 3-4 times a week. Participate in as many writing groups, conferences, and read as many books to see what type of stories people/children enjoy reading.