How I became an author

GRANNY’S COBBLER A COUNTING BOOK, is my first published picture book instigated from a phone call from my brother. I had just retired after teaching for forty years. I taught special education and primary grades. The phone call started like this:

“Rhonda-Kay I was praying this morning and God told me to tell you to write a book,” said my brother Roger.

“W H A T ? ??” I said.

He repeated it again.

I said, “What book?”

Roger said, “He didn’t tell me that. It’s between you and He.”

Roger is a pastor and I trusted my brother. He would not say that if it didn’t happen. I gave this some consideration and I started searching my files for all my stories that I have written through the years. I developed a Writing Workshop in my class room and we wrote daily. I was
teaching by writing just like I expected them to do.

Finally, I came upon a story I wrote for my Granny’s 100th
birthday. I had written this story as a demonstration to teach my students the writing process. The first draft written and with the help of my class we edited the story. Typed the finished manuscript into the computer and printed a copy. I cut strips apart and glued them on folded paper. Then I drew scenes to match the sentence strips and stamped it published just like I did for my students completed stories.

Granny lived in Montgomery, Alabama, and I was thrilled to fly there for her 100th birthday. Granny clapped her hands with joy when I presented my handmade picture book to her. She then began telling everyone about one of our times picking blackberries.

The sad part of this story is Granny passed away two months later and my aunt gave me the story back. I filed it… later the phone call revived a story filled with ways to skip count, follow the days of the week, and Granny’s delicious blackberry cobbler recipe is in the back of the book. You can order it on Amazon. Look for the second edition of Granny’s Cobbler a Counting Book. Until next time bye y’all.