How did the idea & inspiration for the book come to be?
This is forever going to be our favorite question about this book. Jose actually had a dream and woke up one morning and before coffee, and before good morning, he quickly pulled out his laptop and jotted the rough draft. To bring the story to life, we took a trip down memory lane, rewatching old videos and looking at old photos of when we first brought Grace home.
How much fun was this one to write?
This was so much fun to write. I cannot express how thankful I am to be able to use my creative and artistic side each and everyday for the blog and interior design. I will be the first to admit that I rarely dive into the side of my imagination needed to right a children’s book. To bring this story together, we pulled up old photos and videos of when we first got Grace, and relived those moments brought on so many laughs. Just thinking about Grace brings a smile to my face, but to write a story based on her adventures was entire new level of pure joy.
How did you choose the illustrator?
Katie Rewse is the illustrator for We Belong To Each Other. She is incredibly talented and paid such close attention to details about our farm, animals, and our home. Our publisher found a few illustrators that they thought would be a great fit for our book. When we saw her work we knew right away that she would be a perfect fit to capture our farm! We love her attention to detail and that she really valued staying true to our farm & capturing really special details about White Cottage Farm. I can’t wait for you guys to see the special details she included throughout the book.
How was this book experience different than your last book?
It was a lot of fun & less pressure overall, we put so much pressure on ourselves when writing Cozy White Cottage. With this book we were able to basically write the main concept in a day and then spent more time perfecting with our editor and on the drawings with our illustrator. We were so happy to put the story of our farm into We Belong To Each Other!
What are the freebies?
As a thank you for pre-ordering our book we are offering two freebies, a coloring page & the grace preset! We will offer new coloring pages soon. Head over here to redeem your freebies.
How long will The Grace Preset be available?
The Grace Preset is exclusive for those who pre-order the children’s book as a thank you for your support. It will be available until the book launches on March 2nd! To collect your preset head over here to fill out the freebies download form.
Will autographed copies come available at some point?
Yes, we are working really hard with our publisher to find a way to offer signed copies for you guys. The pre-orders will not be signed but we are hoping to find a way to provide signed copies in the future. The second we have news we will share it with all of you!
Will both you & Jose be signing the book?
Yes once we can find a way to provide signed copies it will be signed by both of us!
Will you be doing book signings?
We are working on some really fun & safe alternatives to in-person book signings. Once we have more details we will be sure to share!
Can we purchase outside of the United States?
Yes eventually you will be able to, right now pre-orders are only available in the United States. We will update once you can purchase elsewhere!
What ages do you recommend the book for?
The book is recommended for children ages 4-8, and pets of any age!
Will it be available to purchase at The Found Cottage?
Yes once the book has launched it will be available for purchase at The Found Cottage.
What makes it categorized as a Christian Book?
There are slight notes to religion in the book, baby Grace the sheep prays to God to bring her a family.
Foster home here. Any trauma triggers? Neglect? Not wanted? Lost?
I am not an expert in trauma, the book does mention feeling like you do not belong & wanting to belong. The lesson learned through the book is that families are made in all different ways & love is what makes a family! Again I’m not an expert, so I would say trust your judgment on whether you think it would be fitting or not.
It’s always been a dream of mine to write a children’s book. How do you get started?
I believe 100% that anyone can write a book! I am not a professional writer, I make so many errors with my writing, but I strongly believe anyone can write a book. It was never a dream of mine to be an author, I really had to be convinced to do this so if it is on your heart go for it. To start I’d say any ideas you have write them down! From there are two routes you can take … Option 1: Pitch yourself to publishing agencies & look at local publishers that you think align with you and your message. Option 2: Anyone can self publish on Amazon, it’ll take some research on your part but seriously anyone can publish & sell a book on Amazon.
Thank you so much for supporting our book, if you’d like to read more about We Belong To Each Other check out our other blog post here. To redeem any freebies from your pre-order you can head over here! Thank you again, we truly appreciate you guys more than you know.
