It's Almost Back to School Time!

Lots of you are getting ready to go back to school soon.  It's hard to believe the summer is almost over.

At Frog Prince Books, we're getting ready for back to school as well! If you are a principal, teacher, librarian, member of the PTO/PTA, participate in a READ program at your school or library, or if you are a parent looking for a meaningful and educational book for your child's classroom this fall, consider award-winning children's book, Soaring Soren! Children have the opportunity to learn about the sport of dog agility, to enjoy an exciting adventure story and to take away an invaluable lesson about hard work, determination and believing in yourself and reaching for your goals.

To assist in bringing Soaring Soren to your classroom or library, we've created a page on this website with suggested lesson plans, activities, discussion topics and materials. Included is a video that features the real Soren in photos and in action running agility, so after students read the book, they can meet the dog that inspired it. We hope you will find it useful. Also included is information on school visits. Click this link to visit our new Classroom page!

Wishing everyone a very safe, fun end to summer, and a wonderful school year filled with new challenges, new friendships and new things to learn!

Creating Soaring Soren, Part Four: A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

As with any project, half the battle is assembling a great team.   In hindsight, that process began before my Soren book idea was even formed.

A few years ago, I happened to see an illustration of a friend’s agility dog posted on Facebook.  It was precious and really captured the dog’s look and personality in a very “Disney-esque” way.  I loved it and wanted one of my own dogs, so I contacted the artist on Facebook and had her do a portrait of two of my four dogs:  Soren and Remus.  It was wonderful!  That very talented artist was Morgan Spicer of Bark Point Studio.

Audra, illustrated by Morgan Spicer (c)

A while later, shortly after I wrote the first draft of Soren’s manuscript, I decided I wanted to have Morgan illustrate my other two dogs, Audra and Ferris, and do an illustration of a friend’s dog who had passed away recently as a special remembrance to give to my friend.  Morgan did those illustrations for me and I loved them as well. 

Ferris, illustrated by Morgan Spicer (c)

While on the her Facebook page, I noticed some posts about a children’s book Morgan was working on, and the illustrations were wonderful.  I sent her Soren’s manuscript and asked her if she might be interested in illustrating his book, and she said she would be interested.  I was thrilled. 

Charlotte, one of my favorite Frenchies and beloved heart dog of a dear friend.  Morgan Spicer (c) created this wonderful remembrance.

We talked about the publisher she was working with on her current book.  I contacted them and was thrilled again when they were interested in publishing the book.  I learned that, while they provided all the guidance and services needed to publish the book under their imprint, It was up to the author to finance the project, including paying for editing, design and layout services, and printing of the book itself.  They were very professional and supportive, I liked the work they did, their services seemed topnotch and I could retain full ownership of the book and the royalties.  But the price tag was definitely out of my league.  As excited as I was by the prospect of doing the book with them, I just could not figure out how to make it financially feasible.  So back in the drawer it went.  I needed to think some more.

After Soren passed away in January of 2016, my resolve to find a path forward with the book took on a life of its own.  I started reading all I could about children’s books on the Internet, and one thing became very clear:  When it comes to children’s books, if you don’t have great illustrations, don’t bother.  I wished I had the talent to bring the words I wrote to life in illustrations, but I recognized that I could not do it justice.  So I got back in touch with Morgan, and was delighted that she was still interested in working with me on the book.  In my mind, Soren was very much the perfect Disney-style hero, and Morgan’s artistic style seemed ideally suited to portray him that way. 

We decided to take a baby step, while still researching options to publish that might be more financially feasible for me, and did some concept art of Soren’s character.  At Morgan’s suggestion, I also had a friend of hers submit some concept art.  Both designs were fabulous, but when I looked at Morgan’s drawings, they were just so “Soren” that I was moved to tears.  The moment I saw Morgan’s concept art of Soren, there was no doubt in my mind—I knew that she had to be the one to bring Soren’s book character to life.  

This concept art by Morgan Spicer (c) touched me so much, I knew that she was the one to bring Soren's book character to life

We still had a long way to go to assemble the team we needed to move the book ahead, but I was very excited about my "first pick" and felt confident that with a compelling story and a very talented artist to portray it in a powerful and endearing way, Soren's book was on the road to becoming something special.

Creating Soaring Soren, Part Three: As the Method Actor Said, What is My Motivation?

So now I have a story, it’s down on paper and it’s tucked away in a drawer, or in actuality, typed in a Word document and stashed in a folder on my hard drive.  Now what?  There it stayed for about a year.  Occasionally I opened it up, re-read it, tweaked a word here and a comma there, and put it away again, unsure of the next step.  I envisioned book signings with Soren by my side, giving kisses to adoring kids, but I just didn’t know how to get from here to there.

In October and November of 2015, I started to notice little things about Soren that didn’t seem quite right.  A few times I had to carry him home from a walk as he was clearly struggling to go on.  I chalked it up to getting older, or maybe a little more out of shape since his retirement from agility the year before and his new, less-active lifestyle.  But in early December, he ran to see who was at the door and collapsed in the hall, and I knew in my heart that the time I dreaded for many years had come.  Something was not good—not good at all.  He seemed fine shortly after that, and I hoped maybe we’d dodged a bullet and it was just a fluke.  But a few days later, he collapsed again, and again.  The emergency vet and my own vet were unsure of what was wrong.  On New Year’s Eve day, he was not doing well and we returned early from a trip to see our vet.  His heartbeat was erratic.  They did an ultrasound and he was definitively diagnosed with a tumor on his heart, wrapped around his aorta, and inoperable.  After a lot of tears, we agreed we would try medication to stabilize his heartbeat and hope for some time.  A few weeks later my own heart, and the hearts of many others who loved him too, would break when I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to say goodbye to the little dog who had truly changed my life over the past decade.

The loss of my best friend was devastating, but out of that loss came a new resolve to honor Soren’s life by telling his incredible story.  It would be the perfect way to capture all my love, admiration and precious memories of such a special soul.  I knew that, somehow, I had to find a way to share with others the inspiration Soren brought to me and to so many who knew him over the years.  I thought of the book stored in the folder on my laptop, and I remember thinking, “Soren wouldn’t be stopped because it’s difficult to figure out what to do next.  He’d just do it.”  And so would I.

Creating Soaring Soren, Part Two: Light Bulbs

A light bulb is full of potential.  We know that it can provide light by which to work, play, read.  But without a lamp to put it in, electricity to power it and a switch to turn it on, it is, well, just a light bulb.  So many times over the years, a thing would inspire me to say, “that would be a great book.”  I am sure many people have had similar thoughts.  But actually doing something with those ideas was another thing entirely.  I had a mental drawer where I stashed my light bulbs, and for the most part, they were out of sight, out of mind.  But sometimes an idea is so powerful, it just won’t be ignored.  When that happens, we are compelled to actually do something with the light bulb.  For me, that powerful idea was Soren.

I have had a number of dogs over the years and loved them all.  But when a little French Bulldog named Soren came along, there was a magical and almost instant connection and a little voice that whispered in my ear, “this one is special!”  That little voice was right, but at that time I had no idea just how special.  Soren was a unique being whose super power was his ability to bring out the best in everyone he met.  When he settled next to you with his calm, self-assured presence, he let you know you were someone special.  If you were hurt or feeling down, he knew it and he was by your side, offering quiet comfort.  His happy, go-for-it, can do attitude about life was infectious.  Soren made good things happen, and there was nothing that would stand in his way when he made up his mind to do something, whether it was an agility course or breaking out of a parked car to find me.  He loved his friends, he loved agility, and above all, he loved me.

Soren soaring over a jump.  He was amazingly athletic and loved competing in the sport of agility.  Photo by Barry Rosen Photography (c)

You would not think a little bulldog the likeliest candidate for an agility dog, and I admit that I was a skeptic at first.  But from the first time Soren saw agility equipment, it was love.  He lit up like it was what he was born to do, and he was a natural.  When he ran agility, people stopped to watch, and could not help but smile.  It was one of life’s greatest gifts to me to have him as my agility partner, and he brought much joy to others with his humor and passion for the sport.

We started out with few expectations—have some fun, maybe earn a few titles.  But it became clear that Soren had bigger plans.  Though he wasn’t the fastest agility dog out there, he was fast enough, and, over time, became one of the most consistent agility dogs around.  What began as a little joke—maybe he’ll get an agility championship—quickly started to look like a real possibility. 

Soren always loved to pose for photos.  One of my favorites, by M. Nicole Fischer Photography (c)

I won’t give the story away, but suffice it to say that Soren left some impressive paw prints on French Bulldog history.  And more impressive than what he accomplished, was the way in which he accomplished it.  He was full of spirit, enthusiasm, good humor and determination, and everything he did, he did with all his heart and his own special style.  He made friends wherever he went, and no friend was ever forgotten.

In 2009, Soren was featured on the cover of Clean Run Magazine.  Amazing photo by M. Nicole Fischer Photography (c)

I often thought over the years, that Soren would make such an endearing character for a children’s book:  his sweet, comical expressions, his positive attitude, his kind and loving heart.  And his fierce determination offered a powerful lesson for children and adults alike, that we are not defined by our limitations, but rather by our will and ability to reach beyond them.

Soren and Audra with their friend, Emma

A few years ago, I decided it was time to take that persistent light bulb, and screw it into a lamp, and so on a whim, I sat down and started writing.  It was like the wisps of ideas that had floated around my subconscious for years had formed themselves into a cohesive thought in my conscious brain, and I needed to write it down before it could float away again.  I confess it was a bit stream of consciousness, but I just began and, from there, let it take me where it would.  Down the road, it would go through many iterations, but more about that later.  For now, the important part is that I started writing, and that enabled all that would come after.  I wasn’t sure yet where to put the lamp, but finally the light bulb had a home.

Creating Soaring Soren, Part One: In the Beginning

Here is this shiny, new blog on my website.  I've announced that Soaring Soren is in production.  Now what to do with all this blank "paper?"  So I thought it might be fun to do a series of posts about the process to create this book.  This will be the first installment.

Soaring Soren is my first children’s book to make it beyond a concept floating around in my head.  Because it is based on the true story of Soren, a dog that was extremely dear to me, it has been a labor of love for me—both a tribute to Soren’s extraordinary life and the bond we shared, as well as the fulfillment of a long-time dream of mine to write a book for children.

In the beginning, my focus was on the book I would ultimately create:  what it would include, how it would tell the story, how it could bring Soren to life in a way that would be meaningful for children.  What I’ve discovered along the way is that the process to get to the point where that book is in my hands, and the hands of others, is truly fascinating.  What began as the telling of my incredible journey with Soren, has become quite a journey in its own right. 

As much as the story itself was inspired by Soren, the creation of the book has also been inspired by him, as I have drawn on his courage, determination and heart every step of the way, first by believing I could find a way to make it happen, and then by continuing to put one foot in front of the other in a forward direction, even when I was uncertain where the path was headed.  I have joked that Soren is my silent partner in this endeavor, but in a way it’s not a joke.  The very lesson I learned from Soren, and hoped to share with children via this book—believe in yourself, believe in your dreams and don’t let obstacles prevent you from making them come true—is one I’ve had to embrace to make this book a reality. 

I’ve been amazed at how, once I was determined to move ahead, things fell into place, from finding the perfect illustrator, a terrific editor and a wonderful publisher, to friends and family who supported me throughout the project, and many kind and generous people who went out of their way to help me sort through the process and options.  I’m so grateful to every one of them for their advice, wisdom, encouragement and support.

Quite a few people have told me that they also have dreamed of writing a children’s book (or have done so but weren’t sure what to do next), so I thought it would be fun, and pay it back a bit for all the help that has been offered to me, to share the process I’ve gone through.  Of course I am no expert, and don’t play one on TV.  The way I’ve gone about this is certainly not the only way, the best way, or even a good way … it’s simply my experience.  But I’ve found this process very interesting and rewarding, and to the extent it might interest others, or inspire them to give their writing dreams a try, I would love to share my experience through this blog.  More to come …