By Linda Chuss

 Ever since she was in elementary school, Jenna Morgan wrote stories, amassing notebooks full of them. Her dream was to get them published, but other priorities, including three children and a career, came first. In 2021, she decided it was time, and wrote and published her first book, inspired by her daughter Kiki.

“When she was 3 years old,” Morgan said, “Kiki started getting unwelcome comments and was described as rowdy. I didn’t anticipate the criticism to start that young, and I thought she was cool. That led me to write ‘Twinkle.’ While it’s fictional, it was based on what I’d seen. It took six months to draft but the words came easily. 

“I wanted a story to capture the reality of being uniquely yourself while using a real and relatable character. I think ‘Twinkle’ is a great reminder that there is power in being different and it’s something to be celebrated rather than criticized.”

As summarized on the jacket, “Twinkle is a young girl with sparkly (often muddy) boots, wild, curly hair, and a whole lot to say … Through its empowering message and relatable narrative, Twinkle encourages children to shine brightly and be unapologetically themselves, no matter what anyone else has to say about it.”

“I tried to make it fun,” said Morgan. “It’s a rhyming book, which young kids like. My three children were all involved in the drafting process – I call them my board of directors.”

She worked with an illustrator from Spain, Marian Dominguez. “Marian created sketches by hand and adapted them based on my feedback,” said Morgan. “We went through multiple rounds until we landed on watercolors as the illustration method, and Marian worked tirelessly to make sure each page fit both the style of the book but also mimicked my daughter’s style and mannerisms. I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. We finished making changes in February and the book was released in April. It took over two years, but it was worth every minute we spent making it flow seamlessly.”

While creating “Twinkle” was enjoyable for Morgan, marketing aspects have been less so. “I’m busy with work and family, so the rollout was low key,” Morgan explained. “I did read it to my daughter’s class, which was a full-circle moment.” 

“It’s been a learning experience. Self-publishing isn’t the easiest path, but the results are worth it. For anyone thinking of writing a book, I encourage you to do it. Seeing the book in my daughter’s hands is an incomparable experience.”

“Twinkle” is available from online booksellers. For more about the book and Morgan, visit www.odyssey-ink.com