Here I am again. I am presenting another article about myself as well as about my first published children’s book in Authors’ Lounge with ReadersMagnet Publishing. My name is Mary Catherine Rishcoff. I am the author and illustrator of the children’s book entitled, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon. I am grateful to ReadersMagnet Publishing for Authors’ Lounge and for the opportunity herein.
I first started serious work on my book about ten years ago. I was around fifty years old then, hence the picture accompanying this article is of me celebrating. Note that I am a tea drinker. Before that time, I spent my time moving about the City of Allentown. Whenever I found time, I would draw, paint and play.
I wanted so much to publish a book, hence I began writing stories, and even more poems. I shared my writings with family and friends, who gave me useful input. There was much discussion on the book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon. Finally, after numerous rewrites, I got a final product. Authors’ Lounge of ReadersMagnet Publishing allows me the occasion to present my final product. Significantly, the title was easily inspired, but the story itself took a bit of work.
There were at least ten rewrites of The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon. Originally, it was quite short. Because of one of my brothers, a hard-nose person, I lengthened it. The story started from a painting that I did while living on Bradford Street in the eastside of the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., so many years ago. It traveled with me in my moving.
Finally, when I moved into Gross Towers located in the City of Allentown, I was better able to pursue my dream of publishing children’s books with greater certainty. My sister, Kathy got me set up with a laptop and I got to spend more time at writing. There was a stable home there. Stability was necessary for me to produce my first book. The laptop was quite helpful; however, it took a smart phone, which Kathy got for me, to inspire the ending of my first book. I was able to research in the wee hours of the morning on a smart phone now, instead of a cumbersome laptop. The light was there!
Things moved along with my book quite slowly, while I took time to serve as President of the Tenant Council at Gross Towers and Towers East where I was living. I presided for a two year term and I would write on sleepless nights. Eventually, my story was ready. A dear friend typed it for me on my laptop. Another sister and her husband e-mailed it to my first prospective publisher.
However, the first prospective publisher was costly, so I turned to my first desired choice for publishing, Xlibris. ReadersMagnet was unknown to me at the time. Let me mention that my baby sister and her two girls helped in getting me to seek publishers on the internet. I got a deal with Xlibris, saved money, and then self-published. Presto, there was my first book and I thought it a beauty!
The drawings were done in hours because I had previously years ago done a painting and I had spent much thought on them. Getting the drawings to the publisher posed a challenge to me. Once again, Kathy came to the rescue. She scanned the pictures into her computer with ease. I learned about scanning. How ingenious is that!
At first, I thought how I could present the drawings on a page. Then, it came to me to frame the page. Framing the drawings worked nicely in presenting the illustrations. Of course, I chose markers as the medium for the pictures with their vivid color and ease of drawing. It took some time and practice, but I manage to get the illustrations together. At last, the book was ready to publish. It happened.
Then one day, I got a phone call from ReadersMagnet Publishing, San Diego, California, United States of America. Their book consultant and I talked numerous times about my book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon, and publishing. She presented her company, ReadersMagnet Publishing. I was interested, but to make the situation better, the book consultant offered me free service to market my book. Here I am now. I am presenting my second article in Authors’ Lounge with ReadersMagnet Publishing on my book, The Treetop, the Wind, and the Balloon. I am getting ready to publish my second children’s book, also.
Mary, you’re an amazing inspiration to me because you persevered and wrote something that will appeal to many children for years to come!! The artwork and the story are wonderfully interesting and beautiful!!