1) What is your book about?

The Day An Angel Ran Into My Room is the story of a 6 year old  girl who meets an angel, and in doing so, discovers her magical inner world. One night Alessandra asks her mother if she can stay up for “only five more minutes.” Then she gets a wonderful surprise: her guardian angel, Angelisse, comes for a visit. The angel looks so childlike that it is easy for Alessandra to relate to her. The angel explains how very important every person is and teaches Alessandra many other magical things such as the power of visualization, the law of cause and effect, how we are all one and many more spiritual messages.

This uplifting story teaches kids that they are never alone because their guardian angels are always looking out for them, and that children have the power to change their world through their thoughts and deeds. This marvelous story of transformation could happen to anyone that believes! That is the tale of The Day an Angel Ran into My Room.

2) What inspired you to write your book?

I was going through a rough period in my life and  had immersed myself in a series of cassettes by best selling spiritual authors Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson which are all about personal transformation.  And since I had 2 small children (ages 6 months and6 years) at the time, I thought to myself.  “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if kids could learn all of these important spiritual lessons at an early age???”  I was staying at my sister’s house in Mexico and the room we were staying in had an old computer. So when everyone was asleep at night I would start tapping away writing and what came out was a book about a little girl and an angel. I didn’t start thinking “I’m going to write about angels”, it just came to me. So you can say I was inspired.

3) What is the most “difficult” part of being a writer?

Being a writer is a delight. However you have to be inspired to write. And that may sometimes be difficult with the daily grind and schedules. In order to facilitate that I need to get into some sort of “zone” so to speak, so that the writing flows. I listen to music that I love, I set up a relaxing ambiance with scented candles, a peaceful setting, meditate and go out in nature.

4) What is the most rewarding part of being a writer?

The biggest reward of being a writer is when your writing positively affects the people you are writing for. When someone comes to me and tells me they loved my book, that is my biggest reward.

5) What are you doing to promote your book?

A lot of people think that you only have to write a book and that’s it. But that’s when the work really begins. You have to promote it 24/7. I am doing several things simultaneously to help promote it including participating in all the foreign book fairs, writing a blog, submitting my book for book reviews, doing PR and interviews, email campaigns to my contacts, social media including a Facebook fan page, a dedicated Twitter account and Pinterest. I also converted my book to an ebook format in order to offer it in a variety of formats including the Nook, Kindle, the iPad, etc. I’ll keep you posted on my progress :

It has been a long time since my last blog post. I have been very busy finalizing things for my latest book release, “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees” and starting to market it, as well as my first two, “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” and “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest”.

If you have read my previous blog posts, you know that I usually write about natural things that jump out at me, usually on my long drive to and from work. Sometimes things literally jump out at me, and those instances inspire me. This morning, as I turned south on a county blacktop that I take almost daily, I noticed a large low flying bird that almost touched the railroad bridge that I was ascending. Since this portion of the road requires concentration, if I am to avoid veering off the railroad bridge and landing on the tracks below, I was unable to thoroughly enjoy my look at this majestic bird, but I could see that it was one of my favorite larger birds, the Great Blue Heron. This heron was heading toward the borrow pit lake that was excavated to construct the railroad bridge. At first glance, you would expect this bird to be gangly and awkward, but if you have studied a Great Blue Heron as it flies through the air or perches along the edge of a creek or other water body, this bird is actually quite graceful and enchanting. The unusual bluish-gray color of this heron adds to its beauty, and I always cherish a view of this bird, since I’ve noticed that Great Blue Herons tend to avoid humans.

Just a few miles later, I saw another animal I don’t often see. Coyotes are common to the area, and I sometimes hear them howling during nighttime hours but rarely see them. This blond beauty dashed from the grassy roadside right in front of my car before I had a chance to notice him. Fortunately, the coyote was running quickly, and my car missed hitting him. In a slit second, as I watched the coyote safely run to the opposite side of the road, I realized how graceful this animal was and would never have considered a coyote to be described as graceful before that moment.
Yesterday, on my drive to work, I drove by a farm field, where through my work as a Resource Conservationist, I have worked with the landowner to install conservation practices. Looking out my window at his farm, in a blink of an eye, my next book title came to me as clear as day, “Rachel and Sammy Learn to Conserve”.  Just a few seconds later, all the ideas that have been inside my head for the last several months came together into a rough outline for my next book. It was an amazing experience!

There are many days when I dread driving 40 miles each way to work, especially with the price of gas, the commute time, and winter weather. However, some of my best ideas have come from my daily drive, so I consider myself fortunate to have time alone to really think and let my ideas flow.

Finding my way one foggy day

Lately we have experienced heavy fog during night and morning hours. Last night a thick fog rolled in as soon as the sun set. I try to exercise every day, and a morning run is my preferred exercise mode, if the weather is decent, and I am not too tired. On yesterday’s foggy run, the sidewalks and streets were heavily frosted and slick, and I had to take small strides and even walk in some areas to prevent myself from falling. The fog was thicker last night, and I knew that running would be even trickier this morning, but running clears my groggy and foggy brain of stress, so I wanted to go. However, my younger daughter awakened me in the wee hours with a sore tummy and leg, so thoughts of my morning run were displaced by getting an extra hour of sleep.

As I drove my daughters to school, my younger daughter kept commenting about the fog and how she couldn’t see where she was going. I told her that the fog would be even thicker outside of town, and that I wasn’t looking forward to driving 40 miles to work in dense fog. Fog makes driving conditions dangerous, as visibility is severely limited. After driving several miles in the fog, I become mesmerized and start to lose my sense of direction and balance. Even though I have driven the same roads to work thousands of times, they are harder to maneuver under foggy conditions. This morning, I drove over a hill, the sun was shining, and the fog suddenly cleared. Thinking that I would have easier driving the rest of the way to work, I enjoyed the beauty of the bright sun shining through the fog and hitting the heavily frosted trees and plants along the roadside. However, a couple of miles down the road, the fog was thicker than before.

Our daily lives can be foggy. Sometimes we are surrounded by circumstances that weigh us down and make it hard to see the important things. When the fog clears, everything that has been troubling us is put in perspective. I have been feeling rather foggy about my books lately. My books are about plants and tend to sell better in spring, summer, and fall. Winter is a slower time for sales and book events, but that time is still important for marketing and arranging spring and summer programs. Since my third book, “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees” is still in production, I am trying to finalize it and look ahead to its release and promotion. I am taking a few last minute tree product photos to include in the book, and the fog has literally been a problem. I need to take a couple of outdoor photos of wooden structures, and the fog and cloudy weather does not help the situation. I am hoping that soon the fog will clear, and I can march on with finishing the tree book and successfully promoting all three of my books

One day at work, I was talking to a farmer about his waterway project. The farmer noticed “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” and “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” books sitting on the counter. We sell these and other nature books at our office. The farmer told me that he enjoyed drawing as a hobby, and he offered to show me samples of his art. Having known this man for the 18 years that I have worked for the soil and conservation district, I had no idea that he was interested in art and did not know what to expect. A couple of minutes later, he came back into the office with several printed note cards that showcased his artwork. My jaw dropped in amazement, as I looked at the beautiful pencil drawings of native birds and barns. To my untrained eye, they looked very detailed, professional, accurate and realistic. Having worked with this person over the years, I have always known him to be a nice, quiet, and humble man, and when we talked about his art, he still exhibited all of these qualities, but I could see that he was not only proud of his work but happy to be able to share his special talent. It was a touching and inspiring moment.

The next day, I had another inspiring moment. After dropping my daughters off at school, I headed to work. The highway was busier than usual, so I was paying extra attention to driving. However, I looked up and noticed a regal bald eagle perched high in a tree near a creek. The eagle seemed to be keeping an eye on cars as they commuted to school and work. Even though bald eagle numbers have increased, and it is more common to site these beautiful birds, it is still a rare treat for me to encounter a bald eagle. You used to have to drive to the larger Mississippi or Illinois Rivers to catch a glimpse of these graceful birds, but we are starting to see more and more of them near the smaller creeks and streams. I only had a brief look at this majestic bird, but it was enough to make me feel awed and optimistic.

After a busy holiday season, I am trying to get back to work marketing my books and need all the optimism I can get. I am determined that 2012 will be a very successful year. I continue to work on promoting my first two books and am very excited that my third book, “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees”, is nearing completion. I will be busy setting up events and work on other ways to promote all three books. I enjoy working on my books, because they contain most of my favorite interests: writing, photography, nature, and education. I hope that readers will enjoy reading and using Rachel and Sammy books too!

With Christmas quickly approaching, references to Santa’s reindeer are common. In my neck of the woods, it is also common to encounter deer of a different variety, White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). When I was younger, it was rare to see white-tailed deer roaming the countryside, but fortunately, numbers of this native species have increased. However, as an adult with a long work commute, I worry that I will see too many of this beautiful animal. You see, deer and cars do not mix. With the advent of winter and fewer daylight hours, my entire drive home is in the dark. The chances of running into deer are increased, since deer tend to be more active at night. During the past few years, I have had my cars repaired at the local body shop several times, after deer related accidents. Although I am very careful when driving near known deer “hangouts”, deer still flit in front of my car at unexpected moments. My car’s brakes have been tested several times with many near misses. During the past few weeks, I have been driving home using extreme caution in deer zones. A couple of times, as my eyes scan the roadside, I have seen groups of deer standing in harvested fields, watching me. Luckily, they decided to stay off the road until after my car passed. While I enjoy watching these graceful animals move, I don’t like them moving in front of my car.

Deer are fast runners and effortlessly jump over fences and other taller objects. Their famous white tails are very prominent as they glide from place to place. Males are known as bucks and sport velvety antlers that are shed annually. I am amazed at a buck’s power and strength. Female counterparts are called does, and young deer are called fawns. Fawns are normally born in the spring, and their dainty bodies are covered with white spots for several months. It is breathtaking to watch a doe and her fawns lazily grazing on a dewy morning. These herbivores eat a variety of foods, but one favorite food is poison ivy, a plant that most humans try to avoid.

In my third Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk book, “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees”, I have added many new characters, including a white-tailed deer. Mrs. Doe is Rachel and Sammy’s teacher and leads her class on an outdoor field trip, where Doc Opossum helps to teach the class about trees. I am very excited about this newest book in the Rachel and Sammy series and hope that it inspires children to learn more about trees.

During this time of year, the weather can be unpredictable and variable. But, shorter days are constant in the autumn. This morning was a typical Monday. After a busy weekend, I was tired, and I had to drag myself out of bed. Wanting to start the week off right, I woke up in time to go for a run. I was tired and groggy but knew that I would be full of energy after my run. I walked outdoors and noticed that we had some rain after the thunder I heard in the wee hours of the morning. But, the clouds were gone, and I had a perfect view of the moon and stars. The moon was a small crescent, but I could see the outline of the full moon in the background. While I only know a couple of constellations, I could see both of them, lined up near the moon. At this point, I was glad to be outdoors to enjoy the peaceful and beautiful morning.

After rushing to get myself ready for work and my daughters ready for school, we were on the way to school. I was dropping my younger daughter off at her school, when I noticed how beautiful the morning was. There was low lying fog, but the sun was shining brightly through it. The sunlight glistened off the damp grass, and the trees, resplendent with their fall foliage, were amazingly pretty. The colorful maple trees planted around the school were bursting with autumn colors. Many shades of red, orange, and gold were very vibrant, with the sun shining on them so intensely. The oaks were just as pretty, though in a more subtle way. The heavy duty leaves were colored in browns and tans, but the sun was hitting the moist leaves in such a way, that the leaves’ shiny sheens were obvious.

As I drove to work, the beauty of the day surrounded me. Living in Illinois, the landscape is not as beautiful as areas that contain mountains, lakes, oceans, or other natural wonders, but there is pretty scenery, if you look closely. As the fog continued to burn off, and the sun rose in the sky, the contrast of light and color was not as vivid.

On my drive home, I was in for another treat. As the late afternoon sun shone on leaves, the colors almost leapt off the trees. There was something about the light on that beautiful Monday. I started my day with the light of the moon and stars and later enjoyed the morning sun and fog. I ended my day with intense sun from the west hitting the leaves, as I drove north and eastward toward home. I’m sure that if I had been outside for the sunset, I would have seen another beautiful site.

I saw this gorgeous rainbow on my drive home from work later in the week, and it’s another example of nature’s beautiful lighting. The rainbow’s rays were very bright and were even reflecting off the damp ground.

As I write this, I am traveling with my family north to Wisconsin. I can’t believe that my last blog entry was written two months ago, while I was also on the road to Wisconsin for our summer vacation. Normally I update my blog more often, but I have been busy trying to wrap up my third book, Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees.

Although I had already completed the manuscript and submitted it the publisher for review before we left for our trip to Wisconsin in August, I continued to work on fine tuning the story.  I began taking photos for the book last autumn, but I decided to take more photos of summer leaves and fruits. Now autumn has arrived, and I have taken advantage of this year’s beautiful fall tree foliage to snap even more photos. As green leaves change to beautiful shades of gold, orange, red, and purple, it is tempting to try to capture hundreds more photos of this earthy rainbow of colors.  But, trying to stay on task, I really only have one more photo to take for the book, and then I will be finished.

Kalpart Team has started the illustrations, and as always, I love their beautiful and realistic illustrations. They help teach children about the plants featured in the books but are awesome to look at without even reading the text.

Before I wrote the tree book, I thought I knew quite a bit about trees. As I reviewed other resources to help me better explain and double check what I had written, I learned more about trees, right along with Rachel Raccoon, Sammy Skunk, and the entire school class of new furry characters.

I have been a nature lover for years and enjoy observing plant and wildlife. As I travel the countryside looking for perfect tree examples to photograph for the book, my eyes have opened even more, and once again, I have learned more about trees while taking photos for the tree book. Whether I am scanning trees as I drive to work or already standing next to a tree holding my camera, I am seeing details I never noticed before.

That is my wish with Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books – to have readers notice things they never noticed before. Once children start to notice the earth’s beauty, they will hopefully grow to appreciate nature.

Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees is set in the autumn, and it should be ready for release in the spring of 2012. But, the information and photos included in the book are pertinent any time of the year. I hope that you will enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it and taking the photos for it.

Sun Shining on Shagbark Hickory – Taken at High Cliff State Park in Wisconsin

After working for several months to complete the rough draft of “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees” and then spending weeks editing the story, I was happy to finally send a preliminary draft to my publisher. Although I will continue to refine the story to make sure the book’s information is correct and easy for children to understand, I can now concentrate on finishing up taking photographs and selecting the ones to be used in the book. It feels great to be finished with these steps.

Now I am ready to take a vacation. My family and I are headed north to spend a few days in Wisconsin. I will still be on the lookout for tree photo opportunities, and I will be talking to a couple of gift shops about carrying my books while we are sightseeing. But, I am ready to relax with my family and enjoy beautiful scenery and weather.

Living and working amongst the relatively flat corn and soybean fields of Illinois, it is always refreshing to visit our neighboring state. Although our destination is only a few hours away, Wisconsin seems like a world away from Illinois. With majestic Lake Michigan to the east, Lake Superior to the north, and the mighty Mississippi River to the west, America’s Heartland lies in the middle of the state. A panorama of pristine towns, rolling dairy farms, lakes, forests, and other natural wonders stretch as far as the eye can see.

I have always loved traveling, whether it is a quick trip to Wisconsin or a long trip to Europe. There is so much of the world to see and experience. I enjoy everything from hiking in state and national parks to sightseeing in large cities. It is wonderful to live in Illinois, in the midst of rural America, but I never tire of traveling to new places or going to places I have visited several times.

It is my hope that children and families who read Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books can use them to visit a local natural wonder, such as a prairie or forest. Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books are also available nation and worldwide, and for children who may be reading the books in a different region of the United States or in a different country, the books help readers learn about nature a world away.

Pictured are my daughters and me, checking out the merchandise at the North Shore Concession Area at Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin.

Summer in Illinois can be a beautiful time. As I write this, I am sitting on my front porch, and the weather is perfect. The sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing, and the temperature is around 80 degrees. Summer is a busy time, but because the weather is warmer, and the days are longer, we try to spend as much time outdoors as possible (unless it gets too hot and humid!). As I watch my daughters grow and play, it brings back many memories. The girls have been spending their evenings flitting around the yard, trying to capture fireflies. While visiting my parents recently, my niece was also visiting. The girls were running around the yard trying to catch butterflies, and my younger daughter was watching cardinals and other birds that were feeding and nesting in the yard and mentioned that cardinals are her favorite bird. My older daughter loves blue jays, and I am excited that at their young ages, they can recognize the birds, both by sight and sound. I think that it is great that they actually have favorite birds!

As summer progresses, so do the plants in bloom in the prairie. Even my small backyard prairie patch is full of interesting plants and colors. Spiderwort has been blooming for a few weeks, and Butterfly Weed is now in bloom. This vibrant orange milkweed is a favorite of many.  Larger prairies and prairie plants growing along roadsides are a rainbow of color, and the warm season prairie grasses are growing like crazy.

When doing book readings and programs, I have switched from reading “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest – A Guide to Spring Woodland Wildflowers” to reading “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie”.  I collect plants from my backyard prairie to show children, as we read about the plants highlighted in the book.  Children love to take a closer look, touch, and smell the plants I bring, and hopefully they will remember some of the plants.  Later this summer, I have book readings and programs scheduled at prairies, where I will be leading children on prairie hikes.  

Summer is the perfect time to take “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” outdoors. The book is a great tool to help children learn more about plants and identify some of the more common prairie plants.

With the advent of spring, I have been busy with several book events. I have been showcasing my more recently released book: “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest – A Guide to Spring Woodland Wildflowers”.  Because the plants featured in the book are blooming, I have been doing book readings, educational programs and used the book to lead  Spring Woodland Wildflower Walks. I am glad to be so busy promoting my books, and I like to think that I am helping children learn more about nature, or at least become exposed to it at an early age. It is my belief that when people, young are old, are exposed to something, they will start to notice it more. In the case of nature, once one is aware of nature, I hope that people start to take better care of it.

Ironically enough, even though my own two daughters have been very involved in the book process and have hiked the tri-county area with me to gather photos and information for my books, we only recently used my book, “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” outdoors on a nature hike. We have read the book indoors several times, but since the book is also intended to be a junior field guide, it is fun to take the book outdoors, and let Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk teach us about plants.

One warm, sunny, Sunday afternoon, I took my younger daughter on a nature walk, while my older daughter stayed home to recover from the flu. My daughter was so excited about going on a hike that I had to convince  her to let me finish my coffee, before we headed to the woods. She asked me which book we needed for the hike — the prairie or forest one. I told her to select the forest one, and she ran downstairs carrying the right book. Since she has not yet learned to read, I was  impressed that she picked out the right book.

Even though it was a little early to see many flowers blooming, we managed to see a few in bloom and others that would be blooming soon. Of the fifteen plants in the book, we saw delicate Spring Beauties, hearty May Apples, unusual Dutchman’s Breeches, pretty Purple Trilliums, graceful Wild Geraniums, and striking Blood Root. At each clump of plants, we read the corresponding page from the book and looked at the plants’ features. I know that there are several more plants that will be blooming next time we take a nature hike, and hopefully both my daughters will join me on a walk to identify wildflowers.  

Hiking in the woods is a peaceful activity on a Sunday afternoon. I enjoy spending the time with my daughters and love showing them the beauty of nature. I am glad that I have written books that can be used to help other children learn more about nature, and I hope that others enjoy reading and using them as learning tools.

Beautiful Blood Root

Last week was my daughters’ Spring Break. Since they were not in school, and it was my day off from work, we drove to my Mom and Dad’s. The weather was cool, but with only a slight breeze and bright sunshine, the day was perfect to work outdoors. Luckily, we went to the right place. On a late March day during the middle of calving season, there is always plenty of work on my parents’ farm, and I obediently followed my Dad from chore to chore, doing what I could to help him. My daughters enjoyed spending time with Grandma.

On the way home, we drove just a few miles away to the quiet and peaceful town of Bishop Hill. Once a communal settlement of Swedish immigrants seeking “Utopia”, it is now a town full of history and quaint shops. We stopped at my favorite shop, The Colony Store, which sells a variety of Swedish imported goods and other unique items. We dropped off a fresh supply of “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” and “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” books for the store to sell.

After making that stop, we sped along our favorite country roads, until we got closer to home and turned onto the infamous “Whee Hill Road”. Having had many deer episodes on this road, I am always alert when driving on this scenic, but very hilly, road. While I have noticed wild turkeys in the fields that are adjacent to the road, I have never seen more than a few at a time. But on this beautiful spring day, we saw an entire flock of wild turkeys, and what caught our eyes were the several turkeys that were strutting around sporting their full plumage. What an impressive site that was! It was my older daughter’s suggestion to try to take a photo of the birds. Not wanting to discourage her idea, I scanned the area to make sure it was safe to back up my car and snap a photo. I questioned the feasibility of going to this effort to get a photo, since I have had previous experience trying to photograph wild turkeys, and the turkeys were always able to outrun and outmaneuver me. Sure enough, by the time I jumped out of the car, camera in hand, the birds had begun to scatter. I was able to take one photo, which is included with this post.

I was excited that both my daughters were so interested in the turkeys. Even my younger daughter, who always seems to be looking the wrong direction during wildlife observation encounters, was able to view the turkeys. I think that the best way to teach children about the natural world is to first get them to notice it. While it is hard to ignore a flock of wild turkeys parading through a field, sometimes you need to take a closer look to view nature. I like to think that getting my girls involved in writing the stories and taking the photographs for the Rachel and Sammy children’s books that I write, have helped my girls to develop an appreciation of nature. Of course, going to Grandma and Grandpa’s farm to watch the new calves run and play on a beautiful spring day, is another great way for my daughters to experience the wonder of nature!

At my house, four people try to share the same computer. My two daughters enjoy playing on a few websites. My husband rarely gets a chance to use the computer, as I am usually using it for book work, when I am able to borrow it from my daughters. So, there is a constant battle for computer usage.
 
My older daughter became an avid story writer and illustrator last summer, when she wrote what seemed like hundreds of American Girl and Webkinz stories in notebooks.  Now, my older daughter is using the computer for her writing and has written a series about Halloween witches.  Her current project is a non-fiction piece featuring American presidents. Living in “The Land of Lincoln”, she is especially interested in President Abraham Lincoln.

 
While I began writing Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books shortly after my older daughter was born in 2003, it is now apparent that my older daughter enjoys writing books for me! I am happy to see that she enjoys reading and writing so much, and her art skills are very good too. Both my daughters are interested in the books that I write. We eagerly awaited the receipt of new sketches and illustrations for the books. The girls are always contributing ideas for future books, and my daughters walked with me on several hikes to photograph woodland wildflowers for “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” and tree photos for the upcoming “Rachel and Sammy Learn About Trees”. They listened to drafts of “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie” and “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” over and over, as I read them aloud after every re-write. So, my girls have been involved in the writing process and have accompanied me to several book related events and book errands. A great side effect of my daughters being so involved in the book production and marketing process is that they know how to identify the plants featured in the books. That is, after all, what the books are meant to do!

 
I love that my daughters are so interested in my books; it makes all the hard work worthwhile. When the print proofs arrived for both books, we were so excited that we could barely open the cardboard package. Not only were beautiful and educational books waiting inside the packages, but the books were particularly special, as they were truly a family production. When I hear about families taking my books on nature hikes in prairies and woods, I am thrilled that the books are being used as they are intended. But I know that within my own family, the books are also helping my girls to learn about the whole book writing, publishing, and marketing process. Even if my daughters do not grow up to be writers, they are still experiencing something very valuable.

This morning I was whizzing along in my car on what my daughters and I call the “Whee Hill Road”. I was on my way to the annual Land Improvement Contractor Seminar. Since it was an early morning breakfast meeting, and I was responsible for having food ready, I was in a hurry. Whee Hill Road is an appropriate name, because it contains several hills that can make your stomach feel funny.  As I flew over one dip in the road, I slammed on my brakes, when I came upon not one, but five, white-tailed deer. The items I had in my car went flying, but at least I was safe, my car was in one piece, and the deer managed to escape. Since I have already had three unfortunate incidents with deer within two years, I am paranoid of deer encounters. As I recovered from my near miss, I thought about how my three other deer accidents were on the way home from work, and this one was on the way to work. Since I work in the field of conservation (when not writing Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk Educational Children’s Books), I think it is ironic that I have had so many accidents with the wildlife that I work to protect.

The Land Improvement Contractor Seminar is an event that we started several years ago to provide training to the contractors who install conservation practices on agricultural land.  In Illinois, we usually receive abundant annual rainfall, and precipitation the past couple of years has been higher than average. While water is necessary, sometimes water can cause damage in the form of soil erosion, if too much water comes too fast, and the land is not adequately protected. At work we survey potential conservation practices, finalize designs, and complete ever-growing paperwork pertaining to the project and accompanying contract. The land improvement contractors use earth moving equipment to install the soil conservation practices that we design. Stabilizing soil helps to keep the land fertile for growing crops that are used as food, fiber, and fuel. If the soil is kept in place, it stays out of the water, so water quality is also protected. Soil conservation practices, such as a grassed waterway, may provide wildlife habitat. So, the deer I saw earlier in the morning may also benefit from the conservation practices that we help to get “on the ground”.

I always enjoy the contractor seminar that we plan and host. It takes a lot of work to provide this program, but the event is worth the effort. The seminar gives us a chance to meet with contractors and update them on the latest conservation programs, ever-changing rules and regulations, and provide technical training. 

While treating soil and water natural resource concerns may not sound very exciting, it is necessary to sustain life as we know it — to provide clean water, safe food, and many other things that we use every day. Soil and water resources are the foundation for almost everything, and you, me, or Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books would not exist without these important basics.

Interview on Walt Whitman: Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul
By Steven B. Herrmann, PhD, MFT.

About my Book:

The essence of my book is really the evolution of Whitman’s inner development. If we can understand that, we can understand the evolution of Spiritual democracy for us as a culture, a nation, and World, for international relations, for the globe. (Spiritual democracy is the global realization of the oneness of all religions). By looking at one great individual—Walt Whitman—and understanding how spiritual democracy evolved in him, we can begin to feel it in ourselves. My book allows the reader to feel the inner changes he went through towards an awakening of the experience of the oneness of all.

What inspired you to write your book?

Herrmann: A quest for understanding the origins of Whitman’s poetry. Where did it come from? By 1995 I had read many books about Whitman, yet none captured the essence of his music in a way that truly satisfied me. What I was after was a way to capture the basic rhythm. I start my book with a dream that I use to illustrate Whitman’s concept of spiritual democracy. I had this dream in 1997 that led me down. I was with a woman colleague of mine in the dream who is bi-sexual and symbolized for me a soul-figure of the bi-erotic imagination. We were at a cave in France, Lascaux. We entered and then descended down the shaft to where the cave-paintings were. We looked up and could see them with their beautiful colors and imagery. Then I saw a chamber that looked like it was going down and down. We followed the trail down and entered through a little hole in the ground and descended down deeper into an underground chamber, where there are many rock paintings that anthropologists of the 20th century had not discovered. I was shining my flashlight on the wall, and there I saw a shaman figure there that was painted as a star exploding with light, and he appeared to be a light beam of the cosmos. I wondered, in my dream, how in the world the shamans in those caves could have painted the images down here in such a black, black hole, when all they had was fire. I thought at that moment there must have been a light beam, a shaman- figure with light radiating from his body—like the pulsating, electromagnetic field—illuminating the cave so that the shamans could paint by, and this shaman-figure was lighting up a background, where panoply of images could be seen of animals and other shaman figures. He was the central figure depicted as a pulsating star—like the idea of pulsating microphysical energy. Moreover, after I shined my light on the master shaman’s light, I had this ecstatic feeling, this sense of Awe and Ecstasy when we exited the cave from the opening. When I emerged I had this transformed experience. It was right at the point when I was writing my first manuscript on Whitman. I report the dream as a kind of cultural, or collective dream to illuminate the central idea I discuss in my book, namely spiritual democracy. Many poets have attempted to illuminate where their music comes from. It’s whatever it is that electrifies us. I suppose that’s what the star-shaman figure is: a Light figure, Cosmic Consciousness, what Whitman calls “the origin of all poems.” Other books have been written about Whitman as a shaman, but what makes my book unique is the focus I place on the psychic phenomenon going on in Whitman during the time of his compositions. I take a psychological angle, and I look at his spiritual development from the point of view of his relationships—also those unconscious influences of the Indian Nations. I show how Native American influences were present in his works from the start through visions, dreams, trance, sense impressions, feelings and the downward driving rhythm of the drum. I look at the Native American influences that were present here in the American earth as the origins of democracy. These were actual experiences he had in nature and in relationships with real people.

For example, his first real shamanistic experience that influenced him occurred on Long Island, with the bird that became the central image of “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”: the mocking bird. Yes, the bird actually chanted to him. The bird had lost its mate and was flitting to and fro from its nest, basically sending out plaintive cries towards life, in search of its lost mate, and Whitman absorbed this. Its call evoked the song of the poet in him. I think in some way, Whitman, by going back to that early memory in his latency—maybe he’s eight, maybe ten, when he has this experience on Long Island—hears the bird summoning him. And he says later that his destiny was evoked at that point. The image aroused in him the archetype of the solitary singer. The solitary singer, singing by himself, singing to you, to me: the bird sings and he responds and answers. That’s the kind of relationship he had with this bird in nature. As a two-spirited figure, Whitman’s calling can be traced to that moment. The bird evoked his character as a two-spirited individual.

What do you mean by two-spirited?

Steven: My point is that few people have viewed Whitman as a shaman. I’m one of them. The call of the bird in nature opened something up that had been stifling in his throat for too long and it was time to let the music flow through: the call of the bird-shaman. Like the Oglala Sioux shaman, Black Elk, Whitman realized that the center of the Universe is really everywhere, it is within each of us, and this is central to his shamanistic vision of spiritual democracy. Black Elk was summoned when he was five by a king bird that spoke to him from a tree. Whitman by a mockingbird on Long Island. They both were shamans and both entered trance at will. It’s the same basic thing. Each had visions and each used the chant as a basic way to unite their nations. Each of us has two spirits. In psychological language we all have an ego and Self, you know. Whitman says that in a notebook in 1847: “I cannot understand the mystery, but I am always conscious of myself as two—as my soul and I; and I reckon it is the same with all men and women.” He’s right. There’s really a two-spiritedness in all of us.

How does your book benefit the world?

Steven: Another thing that is unique about my book is that I bring a Jungian perspective to it. Nobody has written a full-length book on Whitman from a Jungian angle before, a look at his inner evolution, his individuation, his cultural achievement. More than just bringing in a Jungian focus, however, I bring my own particular emphasis, which is to look specifically at the native influences because spiritual democracy is part of the land, part of the American vision, part and parcel of who we really are. (Spiritual democracy is an ideal, not an achievable state as a global realization.) Whitman tapped into it and he tried to universalize it. This is vital today because of the particular focus in the world right now on democracy: the breakdown of organized religion and need for new unifying myths. We need new myths because the ones we have aren’t working, and Whitman saw that a century and a half ago. He saw the church wasn’t working. And sure enough the Puritans wiped out much of the spiritual diversity that Native peoples lived by. Whitman keeps religious equality alive. Our spirits yearn for spiritual democracy and this is what Whitman offers. Spiritual democracy is insisting on being born in the World Soul. The other thing I point out is how Whitman’s vision really focused on the West, and he was looking West from 1860 onward.

Do you plan to write another book?

Steven: Yes. It is called Visions of Spiritual Democracy. I am working on it now.

What is the best / worst part of writing?

Steven: Well the best part of writing is when it all seems to flow out of me like music. That is when I sense the unity of all life, that I am an actor in the cosmic drama; that I am in harmony with Nature. The worst part is the experience of aridity, when the music dries up, the poetry stiffens into prose and I am not in harmony with the whole. To write this book, I sometimes drummed to keep the music alive in me, attuning myself to the cosmic rhythms. Also, I find that dreams are my best source of inspiration. When I loose touch with my dreams, and am distracted by the noise, I find that the animals of my soul cannot sing truly and I loose touch with my Muse. The dream puts me back in harmony with my true Nature.