More books planned for Red Oak’s Wilkinson

A Red Oak woman has three published books to her credit, and more on the way.
Ronda Wilkinson, a substitute teacher with the Red Oak Community School District, authored her first book, “There’s a Monster in My Cart,” in 2022.  She followed that book with “Escaped,” a short novel and the first in a series. The newest book she’s published is “The Pug Who Thought he was a Pig.”
Wilkinson, who also does the artwork for all of her books, said she’s always had an interest in art and writing.
 “After high school, I earned an AA in psychology, with a minor in art. Later, I earned a BA in elementary education with a reading endorsement and a concentration in psychology,” Wilkinson said.
When she first put down her ideas for “There’s a Monster in my Cart,” Wilkinson said she wasn’t planning on publishing it as a book at the time.
“It’s based on my son. It started out as a Shutterfly book for my dad just for fun, before he passed away. The idea started when we were at the Red Oak HyVee grocery store. My son was in the cart, and he told me that he was going to turn into a monster if I would not let him out of the cart, and it took off from there,” commented Wilkinson.
Her most recent book, “The Pug Who Thought He was a Pig,” came to fruition when her husband noted that the neighbor’s pug looked like a pig. Wilkinson’s interest in writing began when she worked with the older kids in a daycare.
“I like to tell stories, and so I’d start a story and they’d add to it. I remember one story the kids titled Booga Ooga, he was just an inch tall, and he would go wherever the kids took him. I enjoyed the way kids liked to twist and turn the stories we made up. I try to create that same playfulness in my books.”
The children’s books are all stand-alone stories, and while “Escaped” is part of a series, Wilkinson said they are also stand-alone stories.
“The book “Escaped” is set in the 1600s, and follows a girl named Shayla who lives in a remote jungle with her family. Shayla is stolen from her homeland and ends up on a ship. She escapes her captors, and struggles to survive on an island she thought was deserted. As Shayla heals from her trauma, we learn how she finds the strength to survive,” explained Wilkinson.
Wilkinson said she decided to write “Escaped,” and the other books in the series for a specific reason.
“I wanted to write about people finding the strength to overcome the trauma they have experienced. There are a few chapters in the book that are really intense, and as the story progresses, Shayla undergoes healing,” said Wilkinson. “ As she experiences the world around her, she finds healing in the simple things. There’s so much healing in the world around us, and she gets to see it and experience it.  If we open our eyes, we can see all these beautiful things around us.”
When she sits down to write, Wilkinson said she doesn’t ever start with a clear finish in mind.
“I don’t know how they’re going to end. They just take on a life of their own. When I write, it is like I can identify with the reader. If I think something is predictable, I can work out something to change things up and surprise the reader.”
Wilkinson said she had several goals as a writer, primarily for her stories to entertain.
“I wanted to write books that parents would enjoy reading to their kids.  When I’m reading a story to kids, I like reading something that’s going to stimulate the mind, not just retell the plot from a movie.  My illustrations often add a twist of humor and sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Also, I do my artwork by painting on a canvas, there’s something relaxing about that,” Wilkinson commented.
Wilkinson said she decided to take the plunge into making a full book after finding Kindle Direct Publishing, a free site.
“I did these books for me, and if other people enjoy them, that’s awesome. And with the site being free, there was no reason not to do it. I can publish the book, get a copyright, and can get them sent to me. If I sell them through Amazon, they do all the work for me there. It takes time, and if you can’t do your own illustrations, it can be more difficult, but since I’m writing and doing my own artwork, it’s simpler for me,” advised Wilkinson.
Through Kindle Direct Publishing, Wilkinson said she can edit her manuscript and upload it to the site, as well as submit her paintings and artwork, and an app is available to make her cover. The printing of the books themselves is also done through Kindle Direct Publishing, and she can order books at a maximum total of 999 per order. Review copies are also made available.
“You can have a copy shipped to you and preview it before you decide you want it published. Also, through Kindle, I can go back and change the font, or make edits. You can do a Kindle copy, a paperback, and a hardcover. Hardcovers require 75 pages or more,” Wilkinson stated. “Also, if someone has a Kindle Unlimited, the ebook is free. If they have a Firestick and a Kindle or Kindle app, they can listen to it right on their television using the Alexa feature on their firestick remote. We actually listened to one of my books the other day.”
To purchase a copy of the books, Wilkinson is on Amazon at: amazon.com/stores/Ronda-Wilkinson/author/B0BGGX5M7Y?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true. All of her books are available for free through Kindle Unlimited. Using Kindle, Wilkinson said, also allows for her books to be available in areas overseas.
A free copy of “There’s a Monster in My Cart” will be available through a drawing at the Red Oak Hy-Vee. The winner will be announced May 12 on KCSI. Sign up at the Hy-Vee customer service counter.
Wilkinson added that she’s currently working on several other books and further details about them will be available in the fall. She will continue to post updates on the Red Oak Talk of the town Facebook page.

The Red Oak Express

2012 Commerce Drive
P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

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