Hello and Joy

About the Book

I was Born in Wyoming, moved to Colorado when I was 5 Graduated from Longmont H.S. and Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs Colorado. Married of Leadville CO. in 1981.We lived and raised our children Mackenzie and Collin in Palisade where I worked as a kindergarten teacher assistant at Taylor Elementary 16 yrs for Rebecca Watson who helped fuel the flame that had burned within me my entire life to illustrate & write children´s books.

Hello and Joy was inspired the summer of 2003 while I was helping my mother move to her home in heaven. Every morning I would get up and quietly get on with the day. My momma would wake up and say "hello...hello" and when I told her I was trying to be quiet and not wake her she responded, "Oh please let me hear you it brings me joy."

As a small child I had a stuffed elephant that I loved very much. Due to some unfortunate events my elephant was lost. When momma passed my sisters bought me a new elephant & zebra to keep me company in her big empty home.

Three years ago we moved to Collbran, a small mountain "cattle" town on the Grand Mesa of CO. I now work part time substituting, personal assistant in real estate for my friend Angie, ranch work for her husband Dick and last but not least babysitting for my new grandchildren Kyler and Adisyn. In my spare time I draw and work on my books, I get inspiration from our Lord and His wonderful uninterrupted beauty of the creek and mountains right out my back door.

My favorite things in life are the simple pleasures of family,church,"Faith Heights" in Grand Junction, friends, drawing, painting, gardening, horseback riding, camping, hiking... sitting on the small bridge over our creek just enjoying God´s creation!

About the Author

Calming children's minds, soothing their hearts and putting a smile on their face was my goal when writing and illustrating the book “Hello and Joy and the Stormy Day.” Learning to overcome being frightened of a thunderstorm will be fun with our two little friends, Hello and Joy. This is a delightful, playful, rhyming picture book that is as fun to read as well as to look at. It is a second in a series of stories that was inspired in the summer of 2003. As a small child I had a stuffed elephant that was like my 'DeeDee" security blanket. During some very unfortunate events in my young life my beloved elephant was lost but never forgotten. Then in 2003 as I was helping my mother move on to heaven my sister bought me a new elephant to cuddle with. Then my other sister got me a zebra to join us. One morning as I was quietly moving about my mother's house so I wouldn't wake her. She woke up and very sweetly called out .... “hello, helloooo" I responded that I was trying to be quiet and she said, “Oh please I want to hear you, it brings me joy!" That's when the characters Hello and Joy were born. Time, energy, imagination and love went into my illustrations. I also feel it is important to put emphasis on an easy to read "child friendly" font and to get children's attention I use bouncing & scrolling text that makes tracking and reading the words fun for children as well as adults. Rhyming words to “pull" them into the story and several high frequency sight words help them learn as they read it over and over. Hello and Joy is not just a good “cuddle up and read to me” book, it is also great for the Pre-K to 1st grade classroom. It promotes reading, rhyming, sight words and it encourages friendship, courage & imagination. As a kindergarten teacher assistant for 16 years I saw the need for this type of book. In the process of writing and illustrating I included the children in critiquing my books. The easy and fun to read format gives children their own personal victory on the road to reading.