Growing up, writing stories was a pastime I enjoyed immensely. I would write a story and fantasize about having it published. I longed to walk into a bookstore and see my books occupying the shelves. This is a dream I still hold onto. Writing is my passion and my joy. My goal is for this passion to become a full time career.
When I write stories, I am inspired by events and experiences in my own life. That is where Lousy Luck Lucy brewed from. It's about a little girl named Lucy who thinks she has rotten luck. This is how I feel sometimes. I have had so many doors close in my life and it can be daunting to take a chance. I think everyone can relate to how Lucy feels. I want my readers to feel a connection to Lucy and I hope she teaches them that luck changes. There is light at the end of tunnel. Hope is more powerful than fear. It can pull us through some really dark times in our lives.
In the story, Lucy is thrilled because her teacher Mrs. Lawrence chooses her to take Mr. Nibbles, the class bunny home with her for the entire weekend. However, as lousy luck would have it, Lucy loses Mr. Nibbles thanks to her dog Leia. When, I was in fifth grade, I lost my own pet rabbit Fluff. In the story, I mirror the outcome to my own experience. I will not reveal what that outcome is. To find out you have to read the story!
Humor is woven throughout the story. Lousy Luck Lucy isn't a sad or depressing story. In fact it's the opposite. I write to entertain children for them to develop a love for reading. Reading is meant to be an enjoyable pastime that families can share together. I hope that my story inspires children to become lifelong readers.
Last New Year's Eve, my resolution was for me to become a published author in the coming year. I had written a children's story called Bad Luck Lucy which later became Lousy Luck Lucy because I felt the title sounded better. So, in the coming weeks I searched the internet looking for a possible children's publisher.
It was a challenging task. I started by seeking out traditional children's publishers. I mailed out my manuscript to dozens of publishers only to receive rejection letters in return. The letters were repetitions of each other. They all basically boiled down to the fact that they didn't accept non-solicited manuscripts. It was frustrating. I didn't know how to go about locating a reliable professional agent. So, one day I stumbled upon Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency. To my pleasant surprise, they were looking for authors to pitch their manuscripts to them. So, I decided to take a chance and send them my manuscripts via the internet.
It wasn't long that I heard back from them and they offered me a contract. I was so excited! My manuscript Lousy Luck Lucy would be published. It was a dream come true! Yes, it is true that I am currently a self-published author, but we all have to begin somewhere. I know that many successful authors began as self-published. My first goal was to get my work and my name out there. I hope that readers will be drawn to my books and perhaps down the road a successful writing career will bloom from this. Farmers don't just go out in their fields and expect rows upon rows of corn. No, they must plant the seeds first. This is the same for me as a writer. I must first sow my seeds in order to reap a harvest later.
Today, I am working on a sequel to Lousy Luck Lucy and another children's story inspired by my daughter's messy bedroom. Come what may, I plan to continue pursuing my dream to become a full time author for children. Perhaps, one day I will write my first novel. Until then, follow your dreams!

http://www.sbpra.com/mariaclark