Late yesterday, I uploaded my just-finished picture book, Pumpkins Party All Night, to Youtube.

I started the project approximately five years ago and had finished half the illustrations when a life-threatening illness struck my husband. I stopped everything to care for him. Then, within three weeks of the onset of Ray's problems, I started losing my vision, but couldn't afford the time to go to the doctor and get it checked. Ray needed me at home. Eight weeks later, when his kidneys began functioning again and we could stop at-home IV's, I visited the eye specialist. He told me I had Dry Macular Degeneration (the slow-moving type) as well as wrinkled retinas. The wrinkles had left several blind spots in each eye and he could do nothing for the MD except suggest vitamins that could slow it down. The floaters and strings should go away on their own.


For the next two years, I was afraid to even attempt detailed illustration work. But to my great joy, I could still see well enough to work on the computer. The floaters disappeared and the MD didn't get worse. I ignored the words jumping on the page when I read my Bible. I didn't mind that I read slowly and could no longer finish the introduction to Star Wars scrolling across the screen. I was just thrilled that I could work and drive.

I painted a few large abstracts, savoring every minute of the creative process, and spent my days writing the novel City of a Thousand Gods. When I finished writing the book two years later, without even thinking about it ahead of time, I started painting a cover for the novel. I was shocked when I realized what I was doing! And that I could see just fine. Though my vision hadn't actually improved, I no longer noticed it as much -- kind of like the pea-sized spot in the middle of my computer glasses that is now invisible to me.

So I took up where I left off with the pumpkin book, and in the middle of the process I made a greeting card featuring the illustration above which I sent to a friend. A general-market publisher saw the card and contacted me, letting me know they were interested in the book. We communicated a few times before I decided not to give the book to them.

But that didn't change my purpose for the book -- I wrote Pumpkins for Christians to use with their children during the Fall season when others celebrated with witches and goblins. Unfortunately, the book doesn't 'fit' a Christian publisher.

That's why I uploaded to Youtube and have no plans to submit the book to any publisher. And that's why I need your help. If enough people go to Youtube and look at the book now, by October parents should be able to find it. So please go look for it and then pass the word along to friends with children.

The address for Pumpkins Party All Night is  http://youtu.be/ZCYe0jWPM0Y. If the link doesn't work just go to the Youtube site and type my name and the book title into the search bar.

Thank you so much! Remember, it's free on Youtube! I love that!