Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Morgan Lester.
Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I live in Peachtree Corners, GA. I am the author & illustrator of two children’s books, my first titled ‘Picky Pig Pete’ & my most recent ‘Raymond the Rooster’ as part of my Morgan Farm Books series. I grew up on a South Carolina farm with many types of animals. As a child & throughout my adulthood, I have loved to draw illustrations. I graduated Furman University with a Studio Art Degree. I worked in Advertising & Marketing for 20 years but always did artwork as a side business. My favorite things to paint being children’s room décor & murals. Once I had our son Brandon, I aspired to create a children’s book with my own illustrations to dedicate to him. I slowly began creating a rhyming story & the characters to include. I used the farm I grew up on as the setting & all the animal characters in my books are based on real ones from there.
My first book, Picky Pig Pete is based on my son being a picky eater. The book teaches children to try something new. I created rhyming text & I painted all of my illustrations in watercolor.
After having a great experience with my first book, marketing it, selling at artist/holiday markets, & visiting various schools & daycares, I decided to create my second book, Raymond the Rooster. I used the same characters from my first book but pulled Raymond the Rooster as the main one. Like Picky Pig Pete, it is a rhyming book with colorful illustrations. It is based on our real rooster that was friends with our dog. The book’s message is about friendship & inclusivity that “friends come in every color, shape & size & what is on the inside is the best prize!”
Morgan Farm Books is the start of my book series & my goal is to continue to create more books with each having a new main character & new message.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After I completed my story & images, I began researching online the best option for having my book published. I also spoke with several authors to get their advice. It was a lot of hard work & hours of investigating to find the most compatible choice to publish. It was at times stressful not knowing if the decision I was making was the right one, but with faith & determination, I decided to move forward with having my first book published.
COVID brought on many difficulties with arts & craft shows being canceled, as well as no in-person visits to schools. Therefore, I improvised & continued to work hard sending emails & requesting virtual visits with schools. During that time, I was able to do a TV interview over zoom as well as various virtual visits. Many schools purchased books for their teachers or students.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have loved being an author & an illustrator & being able to share my passion of painting illustrations, the farm I grew up on & including a positive message in each of my books. I have had the privilege to be featured in 6 various magazines and on 4 TV shows; three of them to discuss my ‘Picky Pig Pete’ book & tips for parents with picky eater child(ren). Most recent show appearances featured me with my newest book, ‘Raymond the Rooster’ to discuss the message of inclusivity & friendship.
It has felt like a great accomplishment to have two books published & that one of my dreams has become a reality! I have so enjoyed talking with children about my books & seeing their reactions to them when I have visited schools & daycares. I also delight in arts & crafts shows which give me a chance to share the excitement of my books with other people.
My books are unique in that I am both the author & illustrator, as well as they are about the real animals that I grew up with on the farm. I include photos of the real animals in the back of each book.
In addition, I also teach a Craft Camp for children several weeks during each summer. This will be my fifth year.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
It has taken perseverance & determination to make my dream happen. Also, being willing to step out of my comfort zone & continue forward even when given refusals or no responses. The advice I give to the children I meet is to follow your goals & dreams no matter how young you are. Let your light shine from within.
Contact Info:
- Email: mklester11@att.net
- Website: www.morganfarmbooks.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/morganfarmbooks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/morganfarmbooks
