Emma's Nature Adventures: Where the Stories Began

I’ve always loved drawing and working with color. Along the way, I took art and writing classes, and even though my college degree was in a different field, that creative part of me never went away.

When my granddaughter, Emma, was born, that creativity in me began to bloom. I wanted to create something meaningful for her—something that was uniquely mine to give.

The first time I created a book, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have a plan or a roadmap—I just had an idea, a thought, and I was determined to see it come to life.

That’s when I came across a quote by Vincent van Gogh that resonated with me:

“I am always doing what I cannot do in order to learn how to do it.”

I clung to this thought as I pushed through mistakes, extra work, and problems that cropped up along the way until I published my very first book on Amazon.

At first, I was so proud of myself. I remember reading it to Emma when she was just learning to sit up and turn pages. There was something so special about sharing that piece of myself with her.

But not everyone embraced my first book. I had to learn to accept negative reviews and, at times, a lack of interest from people I thought would be supportive. When the book didn’t sell, it became easy to question what I was doing and whether it mattered at all. I began to lose confidence, letting self-doubt and perfectionism creep in.

But I fought back against those feelings. I knew I had to come back to the reason I started writing and illustrating in the first place. The joy of creating for my granddaughter—the audience I truly had in mind—was enough.

She was enough. And I was enough.

That truth helped me see something more clearly:

My identity didn’t come from art. It didn’t come from books, success, or recognition. My identity comes from the Lord.

And I found my confidence again.

My first Emma’s Nature Adventures book was Birthday Party Fun, created from hand-drawn artwork that was later scanned. The next, Rescue at Freedom Lake Park, became a true labor of love, with hand-drawn pastel pages brought together digitally.

In that second book, I began developing what I think of as “hybrid” storytelling—blending real places with imaginative adventures.

At one point, I had hoped an art mentor would guide me. Instead, I was told that my idea wouldn’t work—that I needed to choose: nonfiction or fiction.

But something in me knew I didn’t want to choose.

I wanted to create stories that lived in both worlds—and that’s what I continue to do.

Now, when I speak with children, I often share that story. I remind them not to let someone else tell them what they can or cannot do with their ideas. Sometimes the very thing someone says won’t work is the very thing that’s meant to come to life.

My inspiration comes from real moments—time spent with my granddaughter, visits to parks, and the simple joy of watching children explore the world around them.

I love taking a real place and imagining something unexpected happening there. That’s where the stories begin.

Writing these books has also been a learning experience. Living in Florida, I raised my own children without really knowing the names of many of the birds around us. But through writing Rescue at Freedom Lake Park, my granddaughter and I learned together—what a heron is, what an ibis is, and so much more.

It became both educational and fun.

I took a break from Emma’s Nature Adventures to write Daisy Mae and the Red Glasses and Cal’s Catch from the Sea (see Cheerful Children’s Stories post).

Emma frequently encouraged me to write another book in her series—this time, one with a Halloween theme.

After a playdate together at Horsepower for Kids Animal Sanctuary, it clicked—the idea of her and Kira riding on horseback, searching for hidden pumpkins while solving a mysterious black cat adventure.

With the location set, I began crafting the story. As Emma was just beginning kindergarten, I found myself shaping the book differently, creating a format that felt more natural for early readers and elementary-aged children.

Emma and Kira are never far from my mind—and another adventure is just ahead.