I write. I have published two romance novels. That wasn’t too difficult.

I also write for children. Getting this work publishes is difficult. In spite of what many think, writing for children is much harder than writing for adults. Publishers are pickier. They want only the best, which I applaud. Also the number of children’s publishers has diminished with merger after merger.

For years I tried to find a voice to write about my memories of growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York. After several tries, I gave up. Now I have finished a novel about life on a dairy farm in the summer of 1943 during World War II. The characters are fictional, but the setting is from my strong memories of the time.

Ten-year-old Jeanne has arrived on her uncle’s dairy farm, sent there by her parents. Her dad is in the Navy, her mom is working the swing shift in a war materials factory. She barely knows her ten-year-old cousin, Sally, and her bothersome seven-year-old brother, Johnny. Jeanne is convinced everything on the farm is dirty and smelly. She is certain the animals are all scary and dangerous. When she hears Sally complain that she is “no fun,” Jeanne knows she must change. Little by little her fears fade as she helps the family prepare food for themselves and the animals for winter. Jeanne is also worried about her father somewhere in Europe. Newspaper headlines, letters bring sadness and joy. When she learns her dad spent time on the farm, she realizes that is one reason he wanted her to live with Uncle John and Aunt Belle for the summer. Yes, Jeanne learns to love the farm and finds the summer too short.

Now I must find a publisher.