Projects

Grownups/Nurturers/Family Fiction

My Life As An Endangered Species (Creative Non-Fiction, Self-Help)

Each month of a Nurturers year brings challenges and rewards. Resilience skills are fun when curiosity is applied. As an abundant nurturer I researched why I and other nurturers feel like endangered species.

At first I thought this only applied to home based parents but I found out all types of nurturers feel endangered. Nurturers include anyone who cares for another life including medical professionals, educators, caregivers of all kinds, and even plant parents. I developed my thrival theory and practice to move past surviving the day to actually thriving even when the world around me seems so heavy and dark.

God’s Not Talking: Thrival Nurturing through Depression, Anxiety, Chronic Conditions, and other Imperfections

Navigating life through the lens of depression, anxiety, chronic conditions and other imperfections is a challenge that I experience every day. Some days I navigate with a smile and laughter and other days deep heaviness and blurred perceptions. My semi-hibernation techniques and love of learning champion my thrival attitude. I am determined to live life with compassion, kindness, and a determination to not give up. With God’s help I have made it to grandparenthood but life experiences weaken my abilities. Written as love letters to my grandchildren I impart hope to anyone in the midst of the Depths.

Depth Life, Family Fiction on the Fly (Short story fiction for families of all ages)

Ann Ray shuffles to the laundry room in the basement of their suburban ranch home. She calls it her dungeon and in the midwest mid winter it certainly seems like it. While sorting the clothes into piles she notices a door in the cement floor appear. It has a pull knob so Ann starts a load of laundry before investigating the door.

When she pulls on the door she sees stone steps descending and light flickering. When she goes down the stone steps she almost slips and…sees another set of steps appear to a door in the ceiling but instead of her basement she finds herself in a cozy cottage with a fireplace and leatherbound books waiting for her.

Is Ann dreaming in her winter blues haze or is this door the key to an adventure her family can embark on together?

Juvenile/Middle Grade

Toes In the Water (board or picture); 375 words

     Families create safety through play in nature experienced through this lyrical song. Audio reading here–Toes.

The Bell Still Rings (illustrated fiction or mini chapter, possible graphic, possible script); 10,275 words

     Will Santa ever come to Mars? The children in the colony sure hope so by creating their Santa Acts Campaign. Will the adults in the colony sabotage the whole thing by their disbelief?

The Seven Hats of Pirate Shawn (picture book); 1,010 words

     Seven-year-old Shawn commands his spiffy sailing ship the Seahorse on the seven seas with seven special hats he…acquired.

Charlie (short story/essay, illustrated fiction); 1905 words

     Mama discovers her four-year-old son mourns the loss of his bear Charlie. Mama encouraged him to share his bear for a special donation to firefighters. The firefighters gave teddy bears to children who experience home fires.

     Mama didn’t think the bear had value to the boy because he didn’t play with it. When the boy realizes this sharing will not bring back his nighttime sentinel, he is devastated. He asks his parents, Santa, and God for help. Mama learns that the heart of a boy feels worth and value differently. Beloved is not about playtime, it just is.

Brianna’s Ballet Boots (picture/chapter, possible graphic, in development)

     Brianna’s father works far away, and her mother always feels tired and unwell. More than anything Brianna wants to take ballet lessons. Brianna’s mother signs her up for ballet lessons but doesn’t have money to buy Brianna ballet shoes. Brianna says, “Never fear, I got this.” Brianna believes her favorite pink cowboy boots will work just fine.

The Annex (Middle Grade, speculative fiction, in development)

     Sari lives on a suburban street in a nice little ranch house with her parents, brother, grandparents, great grandmother, Aunt and Uncle, and cousins! Sari and her grandmother must trek to the public library Annex where she attends public school online. Unlike Sari’s home, the Annex rooms have plenty of computers and WIFI.

     Only corporate schools go in person. Due to corporate schools’ excessive cost and difficult selection, it takes years for acceptance. Until Sari is accepted into a coporate school she continues attending school via the Annex where she learns about the last natural farms in Michigan. Sari wants to go to the farm but resources to go are a luxury. Will Sari get to the farm?