New children's book labour of love for New Minas author

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Joy Anderson of New Minas has just published her first book for children. It’s a project that has been in process for 14 years.

“It has been a labour of love,” she says, with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in mind.

In 1994, Anderson was inspired on a drive between Bridgetown and Berwick. She spotted a red-tailed hawk and her imagination began to work.

When she and her husband John arrived home she told of her idea. He replied, “but honey; you don’t write.”

That evening Anderson sat down and wrote the first three chapters using their campground as a setting. She made family pets characters in the story, but the hero is a little field mouse named Jake.

The story also chronicles several moves the Andersons made. She says the theme relates to exploring the world and dealing with loss.

Jake’s Adventures hot off the press

In the intervening years, as the couple moved, the book project went on the back shelf. Meeting illustrator Erika Wall spurred her on.

“I gave her free rein and the detail she created was beautiful. I’m very pleased.” All the drawings are black and white.

When Jake’s Adventures in Riverbank Field was complete, Anderson went to a Windsor printer. Now she has 500 copies fresh off the press.

“It has been interesting and I’ve learned a lot,” Anderson says. At 60, she decided to self-publish rather than endure “10 years of refusals. The publishing world is saturated with children’s writers.”

The former Annapolis County resident has already had a couple of book signings locally. Anderson went to Bridgetown Elementary School and gave a workshop recently.

“I was very happy with how it went,” she added. Anderson is at work on her second tale, which is about a wooden horse. She has also completed a family history about her grandmother and won a prize for a short story.

Jake’s story is on sale at Bainton’s in Annapolis Royal, Treasures and Collectibles at Upper Granville, Pharmasave in Bridgetown, Chisholm’s in Kentville, the Tartan Shop in New Minas and the Box of Delights in Wolfville.