The new year of 2021 brought a lot of new things for a lot of people. Hope, at the top of the list, that things would go back to normal after the long year of devastation that Covid-19 brought to the world, business shutdowns and being stuck at home.
For Maria Ragone, children's author of "Nina's 20 Dresses" and "If You are a Grandpa Then You Must be Grumpy," 2021 brought something else though too! It produced inspiration.
"One thing happened. It was small but very significant," Ragone recalls. "I don’t know if it was the universe or God who spoke to me. But I heard it loud and clear. That voice said, 'it’s time' and I knew exactly what to do!"
She was reading on of her favorite books to her daughter, “Dragon’s Love Tacos.” The guilty thought crept into her mind again that she had never finished any of her children's books she had started writing years ago.
"My brain was telling me to find my passion for writing again and get back to working on some of my book ideas!"
Alas, like most daydreams, the thought came and went without further reflection.
But, the very next day she was looking for an email in her inbox and typed into the search bar a word, completely unrelated to books, yet the email that she had written to herself 3 years prior popped up on the list like a flashing light. The subject was “Book Ideas.” Completely forgetting what she'd been originally be searching for, she clicked on that book idea email.
"That is when I heard the voice that was telling me to go for it!"
Ragone was not immediately inspired to write about anything on that list. But the ideas pulled her back into thinking mode with more devotion, excitement and dedication that she'd been lacking before. It wasn’t long until almost anything and everything was inspiring her!
Ragone's debut children’s book, “Nina’s 20 Dresses,” releases June 2021! The idea came to her when her 3-year-old daughter was trying on her fourth dress of the day.
"'Mama, I want to wear a dress,' she kept demanding over, and over, and over! Finally I said, 'Listen, girl, you cannot wear 20 dresses a day!' And then I scored that spark I needed to write about Nina and her dresses."
She is also completing a book about a grumpy grandpa to launch summer 2021 and have a few more in the pipeline to release in the fall!
"I can’t help but smile when she look at my characters. I hope to touch big and little hearts, inspire silliness, and resonate with fellow parents."
She's looking forward to meeting new and amazing characters, journeying with them to learn how they accomplish difficult tasks gaining wisdom to help her grow too.