Sandy Speaks…

In 2009, I made the decision to pursue my life-long dream of becoming a writer. While attending a conference on getting your work published, I met Scott Howard. He showed me his wonderfully unique style of drawing and shared his idea for an alphabet book he was creating.

Shortly thereafter, we came up with the idea of turning his alphabet book into a story book, by combining his talent for drawing and my passion for writing. He had created a character named Artsy Ant and we decided to base the stories on Artsy’s adventures.

It was such a joy for me to come up with a story line that took Artsy on an incredible journey, where he would befriend colorful characters and inspire them to be and do their best.

Because of the intricate details of the illustrations in this one-of-a-kind book, the stories had to wait for 3 years to be told. Finally, the time has come for Artsy and his friends to meet the world! I can hardly explain how excited I am to finally be holding an advanced copy of the book in my hands! You can read more and order your copy of Artsy Ant Alphabet Art Adventure at http://SandySpeaks.com/ArtsyAnt.

After making my decision to write 4 years ago, I also started this blog and 2 more books. Well, everything got put on hold at the end of 2011, as the crash in the real estate market forced me to make some major changes (including moving back to my hometown after living in Celebration for 12 years). I stopped blogging and put my other two books on the back burner.

After seeing my stories come to life in Artsy Ant Alphabet Art Adventure, I have, once again, become energized and excited about writing. I found my blog, which had not been touched in over 2 years. Strangely, most of the articles I wrote have disappeared, with only 5 remaining from 2009. I did locate 7 more articles I’d written in 2010 & 2011 on my Author Page at http://EzineArticles.com. The rest are gone. So, I’m basically starting anew here on my site.

I’ve also dusted off my keyboard and have started working on finishing my book, Gratitude Habit. And, as soon as Scott finishes illustrating The Gratitubes, I’ll be introducing my 2nd children’s book to the world!

I could feel sad, embarrassed, or disappointed in myself for letting these projects fall behind for a while. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on what I have accomplished over the past 4 years and hope that, by never giving up on my dreams, I can inspire someone else to pick back up (or get started) on theirs!