Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Edwards.
Hi Dana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My inspiration for writing children’s books began with my love for education and interacting with students. I wanted to be an educator since I was in the second grade and I come from a long line of educators, including my father. This passion led me to become a school counselor. Currently, I serve as one of the school counselors at an elementary school and I have been in this capacity for six years. As a school counselor, you get to make connections with students from various grade levels, personalities, and walks of life.
During the pandemic, I noticed that a lot of students were losing family members at vast rates. Personally, I lost both of my grandmothers and close friends during that time period. It made me realize that there was one topic that no person could avoid: Grief and loss. When interacting with my students, I noticed that there were not a variety of books targeted for minority students when it came to this topic. Most of the stories either referenced animals or inanimate objects. This encouraged me to write Always and Forever: A Children’s Book to Cope with Grief and Loss. In a sense, writing Always and Forever was a coping strategy for me too.
It is very important for children to see themselves in books. It is a light that you can see in their eyes when they see a character that looks like them or experiences a situation similar to theirs. It gives them the motivation to read that book, put themselves in the story, and identify with those characters. Kids deserve to get lost in a good book. Providing diverse characters and storylines can increase their literacy skills. Ultimately, it provides them with a space where they feel inspired to take on the world and encourages them to reach their highest potential. Those revelations fueled me to provide a book like that for my students. In the words of Beverly Cleary, “If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As a new self-published author, there were many learning curves along the way. The self-publishing process is a tedious one. Finding an illustrator, formatting the book, publishing the book, and marketing the book were some of the steps that I needed to learn. At first, it was quite overwhelming. However, fellow authors willing to share their journey, as well as extensive research definitely made it easier. Social media and author groups have also provided so much knowledge and new connections. It has helped me to find an illustrator, implement effective marketing strategies, and network.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I enjoy my work as an elementary school counselor. I provide classroom guidance lessons, small group counseling, and individual counseling to my students. We work on a variety of skills such as self-esteem, grief, and anger management. My ultimate goal is to increase the social/emotional, academic, and career development of all my students. I am most proud of the strides and leadership skills that my students develop over time. I love watching them become their own person. I feel like my ambition and love for children set me apart from others. When I set my mind to something, I am determined to get it done to the best of my ability. I love my students as if they are my own. We have an amazing bond and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I enjoy new collaboration opportunities. Others can reach out to me via email at thecounselorscabinet22@gmail.com, on Facebook at The Counselor’s Cabinet, or on Instagram at author_dr.edwards.
Pricing:
- Always and Forever Paperback (Amazon)- $12.99
- Always and Forever Hardback (Amazon)- $21.21
- Always and Forever Ebook (Amazon)- $7.99
Contact Info:
- Website: http://thecounselorscabinet.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_dr.edwards/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087421485676&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://linktr.ee/dana_edwards
