Here is a link to our GraciePress website.

When I began publishing under the imprint of “GraciePress,” I did not think about how one day my sweet Gracie would leave us. But now that she is gone, I have to think about what to do with “GraciePress.”

For a time, Amelia took Gracie’s place in my heart, and then Pearl did the same. With Amelia, I could tell what to expect, but Pearl is always unexpected.

Pearl is as beautiful as she is goofy. When I’m working on a story and get writer’s block, I’ve learned to just bring in Pearl, and she will get me unstuck and make the plot start moving again. I can not say that about any of the other chickens, not even Gracie.

So what is the central thread that holds all this work together? It’s still Gracie.

Gracie represents all that is good and gracious and generously given without asking anything in return. She is a promise made and a promise kept. She is a true and faithful friend who never puts her own wishes first. She is everything I want each of my books to be.

The name “GraciePress” is one that will continue on. This past weekend, I updated the “GraciePress” website. So that it features our books in print with previews for downloading and links for purchasing. There’s also a slideshow with illustrations from our most current and soon-to-be-published book titled The Great Gardener’s Son and subtitled A Devotional from the Perspective of a Little White Hen.

This book is one of many to be centered around Pearl and represents a fresh, new start for me as a writer and illustrator. Although Gracie was a brilliant ballet dancer, as a comedian with a flare for hats and costumes, Pearl attracts a much broader audience. She also knows how to hold an audience’s attention since she is so unpredictable.

I feel so fortunate to have such a talented little white hen living in my own backyard garden!

Pearl also seems to be our best ambassador to the world who can share a chicken’s perspective on so many important things like The Great Gardener’s Son. This is the name for Jesus that chickens use.

It may seem strange to have a chicken inspiring and being featured in a Christian devotional book, but I think it’s no stranger than super hero characters found in similar books.

One Final Note: We will let you know when The Great Gardener’s Son is available for sale. All of the files have been uploaded, and they were approved by the team at Barnes&Noble Press. I’ve ordered a proof copy to make sure everything is the best it can be.