Today we’d like to introduce you to Janemarie Clark.
Hi Janemarie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am the lucky granddaughter to a magical, loving man who was a pastor, public schools educator, and WWII veteran who passed his wisdom to children through stories with lessons. With any childhood worry, ‘Papa’ would pull me onto his knee and tell me a story about two ponies that had encountered a very similar dilemma. The ponies always worked through to a happy ending, with kindness, fairness, truth, and love, and learned along the way. Our family always murmured that we needed to capture these tales in writing, but never did.
Fast forward a few decades and my family experienced a tragedy. My cousin died suddenly, leaving a precious little boy without a father. My heart ached for him and I wished for one of Papa’s stories to soothe his soul. I decided then that I needed to create a loving story for this little boy, just as Papa had done for me all those years ago. That is the origin of my first book.
Losing a loved one is such a painful but common occurrence in a child’s life, that this book took off and became #1 on Amazon’s sales list in two categories straightaway. What an unexpected and delightful result!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having never published a book, I had many things to learn! Formats, publishing houses, distribution and supply, marketing, illustrations… it took months of study and many mis-steps. Even after publication there is so much more I could learn! Writing the story, for me, was the easy part. The business of marketing could be a full-time job!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My career has had a winding path with many roles, but writing has bubbled to the surface for every job. Communications was the focus of my degree from Texas Tech and it has carried me over many stepping stones along my path.
My proudest accomplishments in my career were when I was able to serve survivors of domestic violence while working on the PR team for a Fortune 50 corporation. An impromptu thought spurred a campaign that increased awareness of a critical need through weeks of intense media coverage. We won awards for this campaign, but the truest reward was the collaboration and gratitude of the shelters who benefited from community support.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My mother always teased me that I should have become a children’s librarian because I love children’s literature so much. I saved my childhood collection and shared them with my children as they grew. My little library has only grown since they have left the nest. As many podcasts and online seminars as I have absorbed over the years, I think the greatest inspiration for me has been reading children’s literature. That, and Papa’s beautiful tales.
Pricing:
- 12.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://a.co/d/04lXQRsD
