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by Kimberly A. Cook        (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Watched a fun movie last night which reminded me about the power of following your artistic dreams. The film, “Miss Potter,” came out in 2006 and profiled the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and many other children’s books. What she accomplished at a time when “publishing” was considered a common trade and not for women, is astounding.

She started by self-publishing her book and then finding a local publisher after many rejections. Peter Rabbit is still the bestselling children’s book to date. Imagine the power of that one little bunny. Not only did she write the stories, she illustrated them with beautiful drawings capturing the animals with lives and clothes of their own.

My copy of “Pierre Lapin,” Peter Rabbit in French, is a delight. The astounding thing I learned at the end of the film was the author’s commitment to preserving the lands she so loved by buying up neighboring Lake District farm properties with her bunny royalties. At her death, she donated 4,000 acres of land, farms and her sheep to the National Trust. That’s a lot of roaming land for rabbits.

Of course, it is interesting to note the copyright of 1902 was renewed by the publisher in 2002. Also, Peter Rabbit is digital savvy with his own web site at www.PeterRabbit.com and you knew it had to happen, he also has the The Original Tale of Peter Rabbit App!

If one woman’s dream to tell a story about a little rabbit could change the world, imagine how your writing dreams might take flight. We should all be so lucky to find our own special bunny to help us launch our books. Let’s hop to our writing!

by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Yesterday I hauled in my largest crop of strawberries and raspberries, an entire colander full. Now the red plastic colander is small, but that still counts in my book. Since all my fruits and veggies grow in containers, a big picking is cause for celebration.

Harvesting my berries came to mind when I was picking through the book titles at Costco last night. There always seems to be a hidden book gem at bargain prices which must go home with me.

Turns out there were two; “I Used To Know That – Literature,” by C. Alan Joyce and Sarah Janssen and “Images of America – The Oregon Air National Guard,” by Terrence G. Popravak Jr. and Sean M. Popravak. Gems harvested for my book collection.

Summer is a great time to catch up on reads, both literary and beach, to escape into new worlds and dream the impossible; like will I be able to grow lemon cucumbers this summer. Whether your fancy turns to ebooks or the old-fashioned paper kind, what books are you going to harvest this summer?

by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Attended a beautiful wedding last Saturday. This one was a new experience for me since this time I was a guest. The five weddings before I was either Maid of Honor or the aunt of the bride, so I was always “work’in.” I’ve found my military training helps with surviving national writing conferences and being part of a bridal party.

One of the great things about being a guest is listening to all the stories. For a writer, just observing all the dynamics playing out are also fun. I knew about four people at the event, all in the wedding party, so I was on my own.

Three wonderful long-time friends of the bride adopted me for dinner and we had a great chat. One is a new friend who I will explore more about her Army father being at Pearl Harbor during the bombings. Vet stories are everywhere!

The bride was gorgeous, the groom handsome and family and friends were so happy to celebrate their union. As usual I shed happy tears during the ceremony. I find when I’m not in the bridal party the waterworks start easily. Over the years I’ve perfected the silent cry for these occasions so besides screwing up my makeup, it’s all good.

These important personal events reflect our past, present and future lives coming together with those we love and cherish. There are always a few characters and crazy relatives we all have or it wouldn’t be a wedding. This ceremony was beautiful and celebrated with much love by all involved. A truly happy ever after complete with toasts,  love and break dancing. I kid you not.

So the next time you attend a special event as a guest, put on your writer hat and see it for what it really is; an important story in your life.