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This year tried to kill me. For real. There’s no hyperbole in that statement.
Cancer come along and tried to take my life and many of the things that make life worth living.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the constant reminders of racial injustice almost stole my joy.
The deaths of loved ones almost took my hope.
But in spite of it all, I kept going.
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Every December I not only set goals for the upcoming year, but I choose a word for the year, too. I knew what my word for 2021 would be before we were halfway through 2020.
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Martha Underwood had always dreamed of writing a children’s book. But as a senior technology executive who leads large software teams, Martha is busy. Really busy.
But Martha has finally made room for her passion for writing to pen a new children’s book series just in time for Christmas.
Parkers’ Elf and Paiyton’s Elf, which feature Black children and Black elves, were inspired by Martha’s sons’ love of Christmas and the challenges they’ve faced dealing with the heaviness of current events. The books help children explore diversity, self-esteem, and emotions all through the magic of Christmas.
The children in the stories are excited about Christmas but worry that their struggles with managing their emotions might ruin their holiday. Fortunately, with the help of a magical elf, the children learn how to communicate their feelings. Parents and teachers will appreciate how the stories guide children through different scenarios to help them conquer fear, deal with disappointment, and manage frustration.
Martha’s series also includes the books Ethan’s Elf and Emma’s Elf.
We had a chat with Martha about her new book series, the importance of diversity in children’s books, and more.
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I have a confession. When Kaira Boston first joined the See Jane Write Collective this fall I worried she’d made a mistake. Kaira is a visual artist and the Collective — obviously — is a membership community for writers. I thought she’d come in, kick the tires, and realize we weren’t right for her.
Kaira quickly proved me wrong.
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December is the new January.
For a long time that was a motto of mine about the final month of the year. This mantra meant that in December I should start setting myself up for a successful new year.
But in 2020, December is the new January simply means I want to pretend this dumpster fire of a year is already over!
Regardless of your attitude about December, there are four things I think every writer should do this month.
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