Lowry Park Zoo, Black Friday/Saturday

Book Signing
November 29, 2013 Blessing Friday
November 30, 2013 Saturday

I have never done a Black Friday and Saturday combination. I wanted to stay local this year and not go out of town like we usually travel to Amelia Island to book sign after Christmas. It was a successful two days for Ivan books. There were many people here in Tampa for the holidays and they had never seen my book.

Author's Note: A couple came to our tent right by the giraffes feeding area. The zoo is beautiful - clean, cheerful, organized, child friendly, exciting and inviting. The two boys were focused and listened to me tell the story and while showing the book illustrations. When I was finished, the older, bigger boy raised his voice and said that he wanted this book. He said he needed the book to remember what I had told them about "being fearfully and wonderfully" made (Psalm 139:14). He wanted me to remember to put his name in the book.

I was not sure who his dad was because the man stayed back. He then asked the children to join their mom ahead of them. They left. The man said the boys had been his foster children for 2 years.  The younger boy dealt with autism. I was truly shocked because this little boy about 9 was so focused and his eyes never left the book. I noted that. The dad did purchase the book. I was still in a little fog as he left, the older, bigger boy I assumed had been bullied and the younger dealt with autism. I have been doing this for 3 1/2 years and I never heard the "cry of a heart" for my book like this older child.

That day was another day of realization that children understand what I wrote more than I do. I thanked God once again for allowing me to write Ivan Becomes a Hero. There are times when a person knows without a doubt that he or she is doing what God called them to do. Regardless of the trials, stress, doubts and fears that keep popping up and need to be pushed down. God's Word from the Bible is more powerful than anything I can ever hope to say.