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My first book, A Thirst for Home, took five years to write .  I wrote, edited and revised the story so many times that I lost count. It was rejected by dozens and dozens of publishers. One publisher actually told me I was a terrible writer!  I was going to give up.

 

But one night my son Alex told me he just read this great book called Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  He said, “The story was rejected by publishers over fifty times, but the author never gave up.  And it is a Newberry Award winner.”  Then he said, “Mom, don’t give up.” 

 

So I kept revising and editing to make the story better until one day a publisher liked it.  Alex was right. If I had given up after all of those rejections and the opinion of that one editor, I wouldn’t have a book that was chosen as a Notable Social Studies Book Honoree.

 

 

 

 

My second book, The Purple Pail, took many years to write and for the story to evolve.  It was also rejected many many times.  But I just loved it so much that I kept trying.  I am glad I did.  So…..if I can write and publish a book, you can too!  Never give up!