Welcome to Shari Guess, author of Once Upon a Baby! After learning about this great book, be sure to read to the bottom of this interview and enter to win a $25 gift certificate or your own a copy of Once Upon a Baby.
Once Upon a Baby: A Tale of Adoption by Shari
Guess
A heartwarming tale of LDS Adoption. Follow a child's
journey from the Pre-existence to his family's home on Earth. The divine
guidance of the Savior, along with the love and prayers of both birth and
adoptive parents are gently and lovingly portrayed in this tender story of the
ultimate "Happily ever after".
Purchase:
Praise:
"Shari Guess has written a "must read" for
every LDS family. She made a relevant issue for our time seem simple, yet to
the heart."
~Brenton G. Yorgason, PhD
"I cried grateful tears to finally find a book for our
children that explains their unique place within our family in a spiritual
way."
~Nancy Reynolds, CA
Author Shari Guess
SHARI GUESS is a proud, first-time children’s book author
and lives in rural North Texas where she is “Mom” to her beloved 9-year-old
adopted son, Garrett. Happily married to her husband Walter for going on 13
years they share their cabin-in-the-woods with a small herd of Great Danes and
farm animals. Shari is currently a part-time real estate agent and property
manager and prior to marriage worked for over a decade in the music business,
spanning from Los Angeles to Nashville. She wore many hats as a journalist and
publicist representing multiple recording artists, magazines and music
publishing companies, along with being a part-time performing artist and
songwriter. Her hobbies include choral, Americana and rock music, martial arts,
photography, travel and anything in the mountains.
Thank you for agreeing to do an interview today! I'm sure readers will want to know what prompted you to write Once Upon a Baby.
Shari: This was the story that I always wanted to read to my adopted son, but was unable to find. It focuses on adoption from an LDS (Mormon) standpoint as it chronicles the adopted child’s journey.
Joan: Did you have a mentor in getting it finished?
Shari: I had a few of them! This project started seven years ago. Probably my biggest cheerleaders were a couple of close friends-Deanna Jones and Debbie Haskins. I did much of it on my own. My biggest inspiration was my little man.
Joan: Please tell a little about your background—where you grew up, etc.
Shari: My story reads like a strange novel! I was born in Dallas, grew up in the mountains of Colorado and Utah and worked multiple years in the Hollywood and Nashville music business. I even lived in Jerusalem for several years when I was younger. I currently reside in North Texas with my small family. I love everything arts and outdoors. I am active in church, sing in a large philanthropic choir and take karate with my son. We live on a small farm and I am lucky to be able to count my blessings every day! When I’m not writing I enjoy work as a small town Realtor.
Joan: What was the hardest/easiest part of writing this book?
Shari: Getting it finished! Wow! You can’t even believe how difficult that was! Getting an illustrator to finish it, (Two started but didn’t finish) and then all the technical details prior to its release was very difficult for me!
Joan: Technical details can being challenging.
It is great to find an illustrator who believes in your project and will carry through to the end. So, who did you find?
Shari: Kate Featherstone, a brilliant artist that lives here locally in Texas. She was really able to capture what I saw for this book in my mind’s eye. Every day I am grateful for her!
Joan: Do you have other books published, in the works?
Shari: I’m working on a few “secret” projects at this time. They are non-fiction and are being written to serve a certain need. Thanks so much for asking! =)
Links:
Tour
Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card + copy of Once Upon a Baby
Copy of Once Upon a Baby
(Paperback open to US only, Kindle ebook for
International)
Ends 11/30/12
