Beyond the Book: A Day of Stories, Smiles, and Sailboats

​When I first walked into the Starke County Public Library for their Beyond the Book event, I could feel the buzz in the air. Laughter, the shuffle of little feet, the hum of conversations—all signs that something special was happening. Over 450 people showed up (with 200 at the Bluey program alone!), and you could tell from the start it was going to be one of those memory-making kind of days.

I didn’t do any reading this time, but I had fun sharing my stories in other ways! For example, I asked kids if they knew what happened when you put cotton candy in water or if they’d ever tried making a sailboat out of scraps found around the house. I also gave away The Wonder of Under-themed sailboat kits and Remmy’s Sticky Situation “dumpster dinner” treat bags. 

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And of course, I couldn’t resist dropping a little story hint or two:

“Do you know what happens when you wash cotton candy?” I’d ask with a wink. The puzzled looks and giggles that followed were priceless. (If you’ve read Remmy’s adventure, you already know the sticky truth!)
 
One moment that really touched me was chatting with a mom who was holding her sweet 18-month-old. I shared that the inspiration for The Wonder of Under came from my granddaughter. When she was still crawling, she loved peeking under the rug again and again, as if she expected to discover something new each time. The mom’s face lit up, and she said, “Oh! My daughter does that all the time, too!” So, we ended up sharing a good laugh over our little explorers’ curiosity. That’s the beauty of stories—they remind us about the big and small things we have in common.
 
Another highlight was connecting with fellow authors. I had such a great time meeting new friends and reconnecting with familiar ones. Here are a few:

✨ Ron Braun (Once Upon a Platypus) shared his cartooning and publishing journey.
✨ Ron Witzel, creator of Super Penguin and host of the On Writing podcast.
✨ Peggy Archer, author of A Hippy-Hoppy Toad (Penguin Random House).
✨ Welma Craft, who both wrote and illustrated There’s a Monster in Our School?
✨ Pebbles Wireman, award-winning Christian author and encourager.
✨ John Vander Velden, fresh off the release of book four in his Misty Creek series.
✨ And my fellow Michiana author, Kelly Wiseman (Katie Ladybug), who leads our Michiana Authors group.

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Special thanks goes to Nichol Chaja and the incredible library team who pulled off this celebration. From food trucks to thoughtful touches for authors, they created an atmosphere that was both festive and welcoming. They created a space where families could connect, authors could share from the heart, and stories could shine in the spotlight.
 
And because stories always spark more stories—I even left with new opportunities: an invite to be a guest on Ron’s podcast and a chance to join an upcoming bookstore event in Nappanee. Connections. That’s what it’s all about.

​And at the heart of it all? Serving others through the power of stories.

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