life quacks
Feathers, Fuss, and Winging It —
One Quack at a Time
Parenting is hard work. You’re in charge of little people who would really prefer to go their own way—and don’t care who you are or who you were. They just know you as the fun-squelcher with a capital “F.” Your job—your endless job—is to convince them that they really do want to put on their shoes, eat the beans, buckle into the car seat, and hand back your phone (how did they even get that in the first place?).
Publishing a children’s book? Also a wild ride—and, much like parenting, far more glamorous from the outside than it ever feels on the inside. And yet, like parenting, worth every bit of the chaos.
This blog is here to make you laugh, think, and feel less alone as you figure out kids and creative ventures, one quack at a time.
When Holding On Becomes the Reward
The journey of Mama Duck's Lost Duckling began about 25 years ago, when a major publishing house bought the rights to the book. I thought my story had finally found its way into the world. But things changed, and the book was never published.
Just as Mama Duck refused to give up on finding her baby, I refused to give up on this story.
Eventually, Mama Duck's Lost Duckling found its way into the world and was received in ways I never could have imagined.
And then came a moment I never could have imagined all those years ago…
The Power of Community: Literacy Takes a Village
Let's just say I’m feeling especially grateful for the village that helped get this little book here.
Because success—whatever “success” looks like for each of us—rarely happens in isolation.
It takes a village to write a book.
It takes a village to help a child discover the joy of reading.
And it takes a village to keep independent authors and bookstores thriving.
The beautiful thing is that we are all part of that village.
Publishing 101: The Class I Never Planned to Take
First came the vocabulary lessons: ISBNs. Metadata. BISAC categories. Sell-through. Advance reader copies. I felt like everyone else had been swimming in these waters for years while I was still figuring out how to keep my little duck feet paddling.
Then came the group projects. An illustrator. A designer. A printer. A marketer. A publicist. Bookstore owners. Librarians. Readers.
Suddenly, publishing looked a lot less like sitting alone at a desk writing words and a lot more like a flock working together to help a story take flight.
The Rhythm of Summer Traditions
This summer, I'm celebrating and hosting my mom's 90th birthday, which has been a fun trip through nine decades of photos, stories, and memories. I'm also looking forward to visits from lifelong friends who make the trek to Oregon every year.
It got me thinking about how repetition quietly becomes tradition—and how those traditions become lifelong memories.
And Just Like That, Spring Was Gone
The numbers have been exciting, but they were never really the point.
What matters most are the moments when I meet young readers at bookstores and events. If a child leaves a little more curious about the natural world, notices a turtle nest, or asks a grown-up a few extra questions about the ducks at the pond, then this book has done exactly what I hoped it would do.
Threads of Love: Honoring My Own Mama Duck
What makes her talent even more extraordinary is the story behind it. As a young girl fleeing from East to West Germany during WWII, sewing was a trade she was required to learn as a teenager. What began in hardship eventually became one of the many ways she cared for others throughout her life after immigrating to the U.S. at age 19.
From Nest to Bookshelf: Our Flock Thanks You
Every milestone, every sale, every smiling child, and every kind review has reminded me why I started: to bring a little more childhood wonder into the world and to inspire kids to read, explore, and care for nature.
Tiny Steps, Big Resilience: Lessons from Parenting and Publishing
Some days the victory isn’t a peaceful breakfast or a perfectly packed backpack. Sometimes the win is getting out the door at all.
