In my interview of Carolyn McWilliams Brown, author of  the children’s picture book, All You Want and Then Some, I learned about illustrating  the book ,as well as writing it and how her family inspired the project.  The story evolved from a family challenge and Carolyn’s children inspired the illustrations
I’ve continued the interview here:
Mary Emma: Were your children involved in writing the book?
Carolyn: They were!  They were involved in making the illustrations come to life.  By the time I got around to writing the story, several years had passed; Katie had grown, and that created a challenge for the …read more

Writers often draw from real life for their books.  Parents find lessons to learn and stories to tell from raising children. 
Carolyn McWilliams Brown shares, in her picture book,  All You Want and Then Some,  a situation when youngsters must share the attention of their parents, especially when a sibling has a disability.  Carolyn’s daughter Katie, as well as the whole family, learned there could be joy in their family challenge.
Mary Emma:  Your book is based on a true story.  Tell us about that.
 Carolyn:  When our daughter, Katie, was three, we welcomed the arrival of her little brother, Parker, and then eighteen …read more

Quilter/writers often plan a series of books, or find their initial book is evolving into a number of them, one leading to the next.  Jennifer Chiaverini has done this with the Elm Creek Quilts series, developing pattern and recipe books in addition to her novels.
I’ve discovered that The Quiltmaker’s Gift is followed by pattern books.
When I wrote an initial post about the children’s story book, The Quiltmaker’s Gift, I didn’t realize the interest it eventually would evoke.  One reader of Quilting and Patchwork asked where she might find fabric with related designs on it, so I sent out her request in …read more