Ideas are like Snowflakes.

Last week I was doing an Author Visit in a nearby school when a second grader waved his hand wildly until I called on him and then asked me "Where do your ideas come from?" I remember feeling a sudden panic and deciding quickly that "I have no idea" was probably not the response he was looking for! Where do my ideas come from? Sometimes they come in an orderly fashion when I'm actually working on the manuscript for a new book, but just as often they come into my head from out of the blue when I'm standing in line to pay for groceries, walking into the library or driving my car. I carry notebooks with me at all times and jot down the ideas just as quickly as I can, even if it's just a scrap of a rhyme which has woken me up in the middle of the night.

I remember going to a concert and hearing Kenny Rogers sing and walking into my hotel room and writing the words The I Believe Bunny down in my notebook. Something about the sound of his amazing voice had inspired me to want to write a story about a bunny who believed in himself and in God's love. So, I took a breath and answered the boy as honestly as I could "I'm not always sure where my ideas come from, but I always write them down because ideas are like snowflakes- if you're not careful they quickly disappear." He nodded and smiled and wrote that down in his notebook.

The I Believe Bunny's 1st Baby Shower

There is no doubt that when you are a full-time children's book author you spend a lot of time living inside worlds you create in your head. Because of that I especially love going to fun gatherings with my family and friends where I can share what I'm doing and catch up on the latest things going on with them. Last Saturday was just such a time as I went to my friend Tony's daughter Lindsay's baby shower. Tony and his wife Debbie were nice enough to buy copies of The I Believe Bunny and Sharing with You for everyone at the shower and when I announced that they all were going to get a signed copy of my book I told them it was my "Oprah moment" thanks to Tony and Deb's generosity. I have done book signings for years, but I always get a kick out of who people want the books signed to, sometimes to themselves, a child or grandchild, sometimes they can't decide so I just sign something general, but I always put the date under my signature. I know not all authors do this, but I remember looking back at my original copy ofThe Cat in the Hat which was signed by my mother as a gift to me in 1958 and it always makes me smile. The I Believe Bunny was a big hit at his first ever baby shower! I'm looking forward to many more- he is too.