DewdropstoRaindrops – Meet Sappy, Dropsy, and the Crew

A Lesson in Patience

December 25, 2020January 3, 2021 dmjohnsonauthor

It has been a few months since I posted anything anywhere online. This was not the original plan when I started the blog, Facebook and Instagram sites however work life took more time than I anticipated. The book publishing has also taken more time than I anticipated. Funny that the children’s book I authored contains a theme about being patient. The publishing process has certainly been a lesson on patience! Waiting for all of the components to come together, receiving the proof of the book which was about as exciting and scary as it gets, and seeing areas that needed tweaking continue to take time. On the plus side of the patience equation is that a finished copy is getting so incredibly close to reality!

I’ll be more consistent as the last pieces of the publishing, marketing and selling puzzle come together. I cannot wait to get this book into the hands of teachers, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and anyone else who has a 6-8 year old in their life. “Dewdrops to Raindrops” is beautifully illustrated, soft cover, 8″ x 10″ book that contains a story young and older alike can relate to and an educational component on how the rain is created, patience, being a good listener, as well as what it is to be a good friend. How can one little red oak sapling and a dewdrop accomplish all of this? You’ll have to read “Dewdrops to Raindrops” to learn how:)

An excerpt from my first children’s book: “Dewdrops to Raindrops”

May 2, 2020March 12, 2021 dmjohnsonauthor

“I’m so thirsty,” Sappy, the little oak tree said out loud to himself. “And, I’m lonely. I’d sure like to talk to the squirrel who planted my acorn two Harvest Moons ago. The goofy, gray ball of chatter picked me up, cracked my shell in his sharp teeth, drooled on me, and then had the nerve to drop me into a shallow hole he dug out in the middle of nowhere. Then he flicked his tail as he bounded away! So here I am, no one my size to talk to cuz the rest of my fellow oak nuts are way over there.”

This opening paragraph sets the stage for the young reader to learn about what a tree needs to grow, the water cycle, friendship, learning and practicing patience and being a good listener. I have created tools to emphasize each theme, for a parent, an elementary classroom teacher, paraprofessional, or counselor, to reinforce with the child(ren). At this time, they will be in paper format. In the future, I hope to have a short video available, also.

Follow my page to stay tuned in to my blog for the publishing schedule, thoughts behind the illustrations, successes and roadblocks in learning to self-publish a book and other daily adventures in the life of DM Johnson, Author!

My Why

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020 dmjohnsonauthor

My bestie gave me an encouragement stone, you know the smooth rocks that have positive messages engraved or painted on them, after an unexpected loss of my life’s career became my reality. The stone reads “Do What You Love”. I gotta tell ya I was doing what I loved in that career. Okay, moving on…..This was my opportunity to figure out my new “love”. It turns out I had it all along but was afraid I’d fail miserably at it so didn’t even attempt to look into it. That love is writing coupled with teaching our youth about their environment and how they can connect with it, appreciate it, treat it well and pass it along to their children and grands. So, in a nutshell, that is my why for diving into the world of authoring and publishing a children’s book. Do I have formal training as a journalist. Nope. But I have a gift for writing I’ve been told many times over so I’m going with it. I hope you will join me on this journey. Maybe figure out your “Why” and how to do what you love, too. I be grateful if you’d share my blog with your friends, kids’ teachers, siblings…you know what I’m saying:) Thank you!!