And the surprise was this FABULOUS cover for the chapter book series I’ve been working on with creator Luke Matthews and co-author Olivia Claire. The illustrations were done by Marie Beschorner who absolutely knocks me out with her fantastic talent.

A while back, I had worked on the draft for the second book in the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin chapter book series called A CinderElla Tail. While it still needs a little polishing, we are happy with the way the story developed. The scene Marie captured for the cover is when Allison meets Ella, her guardian angel animal for the first time. I couldn’t be happier with it. And yes, I have been sitting and staring at it with shiny eyes.

And here is the back. While we don’t yet have the wording finalized, I wanted to share because it is so pretty. What is A CinderElla Tail about? Here is the premise:

Timmy’s best friend Allison needs a miracle. After her mom dies in a terrible accident that she blames herself for, Allison’s dad remarries and now she must live with a mean stepmother named Victoria and two equally mean and spoiled step-sisters, Savannah and Bethany. Feeling left out and alone, Allison confides her unhappiness in her friend Timmy. Soon, an answered prayer brings a miracle into Allison’s life in the form of a tiny and delightful Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur that appears in the house one night. Allison names the Mouse Lemur, which only she can see, Ella, after her favorite Disney story, “Cinderella,” and soon Ella is helping Allison cope with living in a house that feels cold and unwelcoming. Before long, Ella even helps the girl find a way to confront her new step-family and learn that sometimes fear is all that stands in the way of an open heart.

And now, I’m going to sit here and stare at the beautiful cover a little longer.

To keep up with what is going on with the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin series, visit: www.timmyandrin.com

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Last week I received a package in the mail, and imagine my delight when Sergio, the pygmy three-toed sloth, popped out of the box. We bonded instantly. What makes Sergio so special?? Well, aside from being an adorable ball of fuzz with the ability to give excellent hugs, Sergio is a character from the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin Guardian Angel Animal series, and has inspired a spin-off series called The Adventures of Sergio and Luna.

Sergio comes into the Timmy and Rin books as the guardian angel animal to help out Luna, a seven-year-old girl with autism who is having difficulty adjusting to the changes in her life. When co-author Olivia Claire and I were discussing the series and the story lines for each of the books, we knew we wanted to have a book dealing with autism, but had no idea about anything else. Once I realized the animal should be something able to give great hugs, the long arms of a sloth immediately came to mind. And once Sergio filled my mind, the ideas have not stopped since.

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