To help authors market their books and and to help create greater awareness, we occasionally feature winning stories submitted to our 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading Awards Contest on this blog. The journey to success is often a long one. We hope the stories of successful authors will provide some encouragement and help others overcome the challenges they face. This story was submitted by Dr. Nicole.
My journey as a writer began in correlation with my career as a family medicine doctor. I was always fascinated by picture books, and the dream of becoming an author has always been tucked away in a safe place since childhood. After reading Dr. Jacques Ferron’s, tales and novels, I knew I wanted to be an author as well as a doctor. My education and aspirations were dedicated to these two fields. My medical career has allowed me to complete my Master’s degree in medical pedagogy and later to teach family medicine at the University of Montreal. While avidly pursuing my medical career, I also wrote numerous medical articles and books and became Editor and Chief of the French medical magazine, Le Médecin Du Québec. I have also been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul of Quebecers and the Canadian Medical magazine with my stories and articles regarding health including; Tears Test, The Power of Listening and Accomplice to the Last Breath. Accomplice to the Last Breath is a very special article that I hold dear to my heart because it is about the last night of my daughter in law dying of lung cancer.
During these medical writing endeavors, the bridge to children’s books was built with a strong foundation. I have published several children’s books so far and have received many national and international awards for literacy. My mother, who I give thanks to in my book, Parents for Sale, has always loved my stories. Being a mother myself; my family has enjoyed, learned and grown through children literacy. We have had many adventures together through reading. Reading and writing opens the door to inspire children, parents and adults and promotes the use of imagination, having fun and learning valuable lessons to help make better decisions. Children are in the development stage, and literature is key to positive development. It is my mission, through literacy, to guide them with positive messages that promote responsible behavior. I believe one of the life’s most valuable lessons for parents is to offer children to learn the importance and appreciation of reading. It is also critical for parents to encourage their children to read as much as possible.
My latest book, Parents for Sale, includes valuable lessons on values and responsibility and is my first book published in English. The storyline was inspired by my experience while being a Mother to young children. My children had a dog and were not taking on their share of the responsibility, so I told my children I am putting the dog up for sale. My decision broke their hearts. They begged to change my mind; with their good behavior they were able to resolve the issue without selling the dog. Parents for Sale offers this same concept to children along with four valuable lessons about life. The story includes a set of twins that own a golden retriever dog, named Pistachio, and they are not fulfilling their responsibility for taking care of the dog. The parent’s end up picking up the children’s lack of responsibility causing stress on the parents and how they react to the children. The parents decide to sell the dog. The children are not happy with this and end up putting their parents up for sale. A wicked witch disguised as a fairy offers to buy the parents for $300 and the children accept the offer. Later, the fairy transforms into the wicked witch wishing to cook stew using her parents as the main ingredient. They then realize this was not a good choice. To find out if the twins can save their parents, you must read Parents for Sale. The first and most important lesson in this book is to emphasize the importance of children doing their share of responsibility for pet care. The second lesson is to be very careful what you wish for your life. The third lesson is to take caution when dealing with strangers. Lastly, the lesson is to maintain a high level of morality and family value. Many are quick to think in anger, but it is better to remain calm and attempt to make sound, well-thought-out decisions.
My previous books include a bestseller Health Guide and the Felix and Boubou series. The Health Guide explains how to react to fifty symptoms and minor traumatisms. The Félix and Boubou collection is a collection of seven 24 pages pictures books telling the story of a young boy Felix who owns a magical medical briefcase. Boubou the stethoscope is the commander of the eight instruments characterized in these picture books. It is a sure way for the children to have fun learning about health and medicine.
In my children’s literature writing career, I have the honor to be noted as an award-winning bestseller in Quebec. My book Parents for Sale has been recognized with Story Monster Approved program as well as five stars from Reader’s Favorite and two honorable mentions from the Dragonfly Book Festival and the New York Book Festival. I am truly grateful and honored for these recognitions. My goals for my children’s books are to have them available online with the possibility to turn them into a movie or animation.
My true intentions regarding being an author are to inspire children to read, to set their imaginations free and to encourage good decision making regarding health, safety and moral responsibility. Writing children’s books is a way for me to give back and be a positive source to the community. It is a way that I can positively express myself while having some fun and at the same time being a positive role model for both children and parents. These are few small steps to make the world a better place. I hope that my books inspire children to set their minds free and work to make the world a better place. I am honored to have this dream come reality and will continue to work and create stories for children that motivate and inspire. My messages to a young author are to dream big, keep focus and hire experts to edit and market their books.
Find out more about Dr. Nicole’s books by visiting her website, http://www.drnicolebook.com.