As I mentioned in my last blog a six year writing stint for Minnesota Out Of Doors became my big break in getting my material published. That experience led to the production of the three volumes of Children In The Outdoors and an opportunity to travel the four state area putting on teacher workshops.

But nothing lasts forever. In 1991 the magazine had financial problems and after a discussion with the editor I decided to retire the column. I did that with mixed emotions as I really enjoyed the challenge of writing the column and creating the activity pages.

I needed to discover new avenues to get my writing published and I was ready for that challenge.

Remember in my previous blog when I mentioned I had a brief four month ‘Through Nature’s Window’ column in the farming newspaper The Sodbuster? Well my last column was in the December issue and it was a special Christmas story titled Nature’s Christmas Story.

I loved that story and once it appeared in The Sodbuster in December I was expecting Walt Disney to contact me and propose that we transform the story into a Disney movie.

Walt never called. 🙁

So the next summer my big project was to rewrite portions of the column to make it more suitable as a children’s Christmas book. I was not a trained artist but I gave illustrating a shot as I added pen and ink drawings to give the manuscript a picture book feel.

Then for the next twenty-five years I would locate publishing houses and send them a large manila envelope containing a cover letter, Nature’s Christmas Story manuscript and most importantly a self addressed, stamped envelope.

Then I awaited excitedly hoping my self addressed, stamped envelope would return to my mailbox with the good news that a publishing house had decided to turn my manuscript into a Christmas children’s book.

Forty-seven times over a twenty-five year period I went to the mailbox to discover my self addressed, stamped envelope containing a rejection letter.

Some rejection letters contained positive comments about my work while most of them were cold, mimeographed unsigned copies.

So when my outdoor magazine column stint ended I had stayed in practice by preparing and sending out Nature’s Christmas Story manuscripts. I had become calloused to the rejections and even more determined to get Nature’s Christmas Story published.

I began writing more manuscripts. I decided if one holiday story didn’t catch the eye of a publishing house maybe a book of several holiday stories would accomplish the task.

So back to work I went producing holiday manuscripts with such titles as The Valentine Card, The Easter Sparrows, Firecrackers, The Little Green Pumpkin, Stuffing the Turkey, The Hanukkah Bonfires, Cole and the Christmas Coal, and The New Year’s Eve Rescue.

And then God led me to Sandy. I believe God does those things you know. 🙂

Sandy was busy selling her self published Christian book titled “A Camel’s Story” at a Sports and Leisure Show. As fellow authors we immediately began sharing our writing experiences.

When I shared with her my writing aspirations and described my manuscript Nature’s Christmas Story and The Easter Sparrows she said she would love to read them. So I went home and immediately sent her copies of both manuscripts.

She was excited and so encouraging that I decided to forget those publishing houses that had been so impolitely and coldly filling my mailbox with rejection letters. I would check into self publication.

In the process of contacting self publishers another important God-thing happened. I had located a publisher who agreed to publish Nature’s Christmas Story under one stipulation. I needed to acquire an artist!

What? I sent my pen and ink illustrations with the manuscript. What do you mean I need an artist?

My ego was bruised and damaged at first. Then I thought of a young lady who had been in my high school biology class and produced the most stunning art in her lab writeups. She had received her four year degree at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and majored in book illustrations.

Janine Ringdahl Schmidt married a local farmer, Alan, and when I contacted her she said her youngest child had just started kindergarten and she was wondering how to get started using her art degree. I’m not sure who was more excited her or me. 🙂

I immediately gave up my dream to be picked up by some publishing house and went ‘whole hog’ into self publishing.

We first published Nature’s Christmas Story followed by The Easter Sparrows. Then the nine remaining holiday stories became a book titled Holiday Adventures for Kids. That was going to be the last book until I went to a craft fair and a young lady mentioned to me that there really was a need for a children’s book about Advent.

By the end of the evening I had a story line for an Advent book and a year later Janine and I released The First Advent.

That for sure was going to be the “amen” book until I met Janine at a social gathering and she mentioned she was ready to do another book.

Remember all authors have those unpublished manuscripts setting on shelves collecting dust. I had one titled Nature’s Rhyming Riddles which I promptly went in search of, found it and blew the dust off of it. It became our Pandemic release and someday we may even have a book signing. 🙂

And then the frosting on the cake arrived. Remember I had given up my dream of having a publishing house give me a contract for my manuscript?

Thanks to my fellow author Sandy who helped that final dream come true.

Her Camel books (she now has three) found their way to the Ukraine by way of a Christian organization READ Ministries. The Ukraine churches and schools were desperately looking for Christian children’s books.

Sandy encouraged me to send The Easter Sparrows with READ ministers who were visiting sister churches in the Ukraine.

To my surprise I received an email from the editor of Publishing House Smirna, Cherkassy, Ukraine with a contract enclosed and a request to publish my book The Easter Sparrows in Russian and Ukrainian.

I received ten complementary copies of both Russian and Ukrainian books none of which I could read even though I was the author.

But wait, don’t cheer yet. It gets even better! 🙂

After receiving my twenty copies of The Easter Sparrows my editor asked me if I had any more Christian children’s books. I mentioned to her that I had a book titled The First Advent that was just ready to be released.

She asked me to send her a copy which I did.

To my surprise again an email arrived from Publishing House Smirna with a request to publish The First Advent. A second contract was signed!

As was mentioned in the previous blog several weeks ago I received my second package of ten Russian and ten Ukrainian copies of The First Advent.

I haven’t checked to make it official but I think that makes me the least successful international author in the world. But you know that’s a record that I am proud of. To think I started my career with one nature column in The Northern Star and four nature columns in the now defunct The Sodbuster.

The footprints of my writing career began with those first nature columns and looking back I’m amazed as I observe where those footprints have taken me. They have allowed me to achieve my dream to become an author.

And during this time of Lent scattered across the United States and throughout the Ukraine children are learning about the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Hopefully these same children prepared for the arrival of Christmas last fall as they shared stories and activities while reading The First Advent.

What a humbling experience for the least successful international author! 🙂

Until next time.