The day has finally arrived! Can you even believe it? I’m still having to pinch myself every time I look at the press proof I received just two days ago. Hodge, Podge, Eric, and all the fatimals are very pleased with the results and I think you will be too.

Get your copy of The Big Acorn Race on Amazon (and other online retailers)!

In addition to Amazon.com in the US, The Big Acorn Race is also available on Amazon’s European websites including Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, and Amazon.es.

I embarked on this journey a little over a year ago, but I had the idea for the book in my back pocket for a few years before I was ready to commit to it. And for as long as I can remember I have wanted to publish a book. This is a dream come true!

I must say it was a lot of hard work to make this 76-page, full-color story and pattern book a reality. The whole thing is crochet, so for all of 2015 if I wasn’t photographing or writing (or working at my day job), I had a crochet hook in my hand. This book is also the result of the hard work of many other talented people. First and foremost, the talented artist and designer Sylvie Abecassis poured so much of her time and heart into these pages. I am forever indebted to her for everything she did to make this book a marvel of color and whimsy. Thanks to my brilliant pattern testers for trying out the patterns and providing thoughtful insights: Patricia Castillo, Vanja Grundmann, Sharon Pridmore, Tajana Rabar, Grace Watts, and Kate Zaynard. My dear friend Ranée Kahler helped me with photo editing and all around provided her wonderful support. Becky Milanski, Kate Zaynard, Ingrid Heffner, and Becky McKay proofread the book in its final stages and advised me on all things editorial. My husband Shelby put up with me, sacrificed holidays and travel, and encouraged me to keep going whenever I wanted to give up. Thanks also to every one of you who have walked beside me and offered your ideas and support. You’ll never know how much it has meant to me.

It has been a wonderful, exciting, fulfilling, stressful, exhausting, beautiful adventure. I’d do it all again… but after a nap. The only thing that’s left is for me to take a step back and send it off into the world. If you pick up a copy (thank you!), I’d love to hear what you think. Customer reviews on Amazon will help create a successful launch, so I encourage you to leave your feedback there. I hope you enjoy The Big Acorn Race.

Follow my journey from concept to publication in these blog posts:

Picnic Photo Shoot with Your Favorite Squirrel Friends

Interview with the Author

Nearing the Finish Line

Roadblocks and Speed Bumps

Podge’s Garden

See How Podge’s Flowers Grow!

Crocheting the Story

Time to Test the Patterns

New Beginnings

Tall ‘n’ Fast Flowers

We’ve Got a Cover!

Oak Leaves and Acorns

Getting My Squirrels in a Row

Backgrounds and Foregrounds

The Journey Begins