Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Blas.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The idea for this book came about during the early part of Covid. My daughter, Lena, was a newborn, and one of the activities that we could safely do together was go to the Riverbanks Zoo. Whenever we would go, I would point out the different animals and make up stories about them. One day, I got the idea to create an alphabet story, and I liked using alliteration to capture her attention. It became a fun tradition for us, and we still use our imaginations today to create animal adventure stories whenever we visit the zoo. Regarding the illustrations, I immediately knew I wanted to ask the amazingly talented artist Shirley DuRant to be my illustrator. I previously met Shirley at Soda City because most of the artwork in Lena’s room is by Shirley. I wanted a colorful and simplistic design that children could connect to, and Shirley delivered!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Fortunately, writing this book has been a smooth road. I had the luxury of writing it while at home with my children, and Shirley agreed to illustrate fairly early. Dorrance Publishing also approached me shortly after copyrighting the book, and they wanted to help along the way. It has been a smooth road, and I encourage anyone who wants to write a children’s book to put their ideas down on paper and see what can happen!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an attorney and have a Master’s degree in social work. I had the privilege to take time away from the workforce to stay at home with my two beautiful children, Lena and Liam, and I’ve been doing so for the past several years. However, I intend to return to lawyering. My specialty in law is children’s law and policy. In other words, I assess issues related to child well-being and offer policy and legislative recommendations to lawmakers to promote better outcomes for South Carolina’s youngest citizens. I am most proud of the work I did at the University of South Carolina Children’s Law Center. I contributed to publications and offered policy recommendations that were implemented. Regarding being creative, I am most proud of seeing Animal Party through to publication! It can be intimidating to publish a book – especially when you do not know where to start. But I wanted this book to come to fruition for my children, and I was able to accomplish that. What sets me apart from others is my creativity! I focus on bringing creative solutions to all situations. Sometimes, we need to think outside the box to accomplish a goal, including considering many different perspectives, listening carefully to others, and bringing people together to resolve.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The characteristic that has been most important to my success has been perseverance. As mentioned, I had yet to experience writing a children’s book. I needed to figure out where to start when I first wanted to get it published. Many different avenues include sending your manuscript to publishers, working with an agent, and self-publishing. Each has its benefits and drawbacks; however, I ultimately chose to go with Dorrance even after submitting Animal Party to a few publishers. I had to overcome fearing an unknown process, the possibility of rejection, and self-doubt about whether or not I would find success. Ultimately, I am thrilled I could persevere and get this book into the world!
Pricing:
- Animal Party: A Book of Fun from A to Z available in stores around Columbia at Soda City Market, the Collective, All Good Books, Good for the Sole, and City Grit – (pricing varies from $18-24)
- Author signed copy – $22 (https://blossomchildrensbooks.square.site)
- Available online at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Dorrance Publishing – pricing varies.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blossomchildrensbooks.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossomchildrensbooks/
- Linkedin: Shirley’s website: https://linktr.ee/shirldart
- Other: https://linktr.ee/arr09blas
