the story of The Story of Gray

and just as i thought that was my cherry for the day, a lively man approached my table; “did you write these?," he gestured to Animal ABCs and i am alive. i said that i did and he smiled and said, “great. i have an idea for a story that needs to be made.” i smiled back. “go ahead. i’m all ears.”

then, David, as he introduced himself, proceeded to tell me his version of what became the story of gray. i wish i had recorded it, but what i do remember: a boy, dreams of color, doubt, ridicule, determination, a rainbow bursting forth —and full body chills.

now, Las Terrenas is not a big town..

so in the weeks that followed, as the kids and i were out and about doing life in our golf cart, the Mambo, i kept running into David. after enough of these chance encounters, i took it as a sign that i should at least try to put his words to paper. i got his whatsapp number and told him i’d be in touch.

over the next few weeks, i wrote and rewrote my memory of the story. as i did new elements began to crystalize; the stark world of Setisoppo (opposites, spelled backwards), the rigidity of it's leader, Mr. Mayor, and the journey of the main character, Gray, all began to take shape.

when it finally felt ready to share, i messaged David. he was delighted by the elements i had brought in. and, of course, he had more ideas. it was so nice to have someone to bounce around words with in the early days. then, about a month into our back & forth, it was time for our family—after a beautiful year and a half on the island—to return to the States.

now David was an artist, and from what i gathered, a bit of a nomad himself, so i knew that, despite whatsapp working perfectly well across continents, our communication, usually spurred by real life run-ins, would likely die down. as such, David gave me his blessing to run with Gray, and i set off to settle into a new chapter of life.

when the chaos of a mid-summer move

had setttled, i was eager to begin to play around with what Gray might look like. there were many false starts with humans before i ultimately landed on a bear again. what can i say, they are just too cute.

and also, when working with scissors and scraps as tiny as the tip of a pencil, i find animals are the most forgiving and maleable - you can express multiple emotional states with a slight move of an eyeball or nose.., once i got through the hurdle of establishing my main character, the work had just begun.

while this was my third book, it was my first with a true narrative arc. so, naturally, it came with a learning curve.

as i began illustrating, i realized i needed to keep writing—and rewriting. i imagine this goes for any book, but especially when working within the 'confines' of what i could find in magazines. there was a continual dance between imagery and words; moments had to be shortened, stretched, or rearranged to flow across spreads.

to be honest, it’s a bit of a mystery to me how the author and illustrator could ever be separate roles. the process felt so intertwined—so dependent on give and take.

nearly a year later, after many starts and stops due to life, a full dummy of The Story of Gray was complete.

because i had received positive feedback,

on my first two books, i thought—maybe this is my moment to find an agent. i curated a list of about 30 that felt like strong fits, sent out my pitches, and crossed my fingers.

and this is the part where some people might get discouraged. mostly, i either didn’t hear back, or i heard some version of: this is great, but not a fit for me. two seasoned agents did engage for a few emails, but ultimately passed with similar feedback: beautiful illustrations, a strong theme—but the industry doesn’t really do rhyming anymore. and black and white doesn’t sell.

and somewhere in that process of rejection, it struck me,

whether it’s my fourth or my fourteenth book, the vision is there. just like Gray, i can see it clearly. in my case, however, it's not a world of color, it’s walking into a Barnes & Noble and seeing my books on display.

it may not be visible to anyone else yet, but i keep moving forward in faith. trusting and enjoying the journey, which ultimately, is the whole dang point.

so i held my head high, 

found a beautiful printer, and the more the merrlier publshing house is proud to announce The Story of Gray - now on pre-sale through May 16th!

order in this limited window and you will receive a free gift as well as the option to have your book signed.

merrily, merrily, merrily—life is but a dream.

p.s. i've been trying to get in touch with David to send him the final product, but as i alluded to, he is a mysterious individual. when the moment arrives, i'll be excited to connect. and until then, i am forever grateful for the spark & friendship he gave me in those early months. now it's back to the musings Google Doc because i'm already ready to embark on my fourth book, a ver... :)

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