Spotlight: The Mirror Box 

To celebrate the release of his first children’s book and ML Publishing’s first publication of 2023, I sat down with author Wade W. Bergner to chat about his new book, The Mirror Box. You can read our full interview below.

MIRIAM LAUNDRY: Hi Wade! Congratulations on your new book, The Mirror Box. Can you tell us about who it’s for and how you started writing it?

WADE BERGNER: This is a great read along book for families with children between the ages of four to eight. The idea for this book has been marinating in the background for around three years however, it wasn’t the manuscript that I had planned to release as a book. 

ML: What inspired you to become an author?

WB:  Having been a student labelled with a reading disability, I spent most of my life feeling very insecure about my value and self-worth. Overtime, I eventually came to understand that self-worth is not earned. It’s an innate gift we are all born with. My life has been transformed by the written and spoken words of others whom I like, know, and trust. I now have a deep desire to make a positive difference in others lives through both the written & spoken word.

ML: And now your words can inspire children who may feel the same way! Why did you choose to write The Mirror Box in particular?

WB: The personal loss of my mother to cancer and the loss of a good friend to suicide have played a big role in this book being published. I reflected on the thought of: if I had only one book or message I could share with others, what would it be? Opening myself up to that thought resulted in the creation of The Mirror Box.

Grieving the loss of a loved one is probably the hardest emotion we’ll ever have to endure. Knowing this and also knowing that death is part of our journey, gave me the nudge I needed. The process of grieving cannot be replaced but, the kindness of others and books like this can help build hope and new awareness. I’ve read a great deal of NDE (Near Death Experiences) books and felt it was important to share the messages that are unveiled from the miraculous and beautiful stories I’ve read.

ML: Yes, it’s important to process those emotions and learn how to grieve. Thank you for sharing that in this book. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing it?

ML: What did you learn through it all?

WB: I’ve learned a great deal from the publishing process! However, one key takeaway about creating a children’s book was to always have the child or children within the story resolve the conflict or challenge.

ML: That’s true. It’s very important for children to see themselves in the main character. You learned this from Sharon Jennings, our editor in Publishing Mastermind. Do you have any fond memories of the Publishing Mastermind?

WB: Receiving an email message from Sharon Jennings about how The Mirror Box had moved her inspired me a great deal! I appreciate Sharon’s willingness to teach inspiring authors like myself and greatly admire her passion to serve children and families in this special way!

My favourite experience was seeing the early sketches and illustrations that Alan Brown, my illustrator, produced. I also thoroughly enjoyed the monthly meetings we had with our Publishing Mastermind group. The guidance and peace of mind that I felt throughout the process was immeasurable!

ML: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

WB: Make sure you truly unpack what your motivation (or WHY) is. With approximately 10 million books available on Amazon, you’re going to be visited by thoughts of 'what am I doing?' and 'why am I sacrificing my time, money, and resources into this book?'

I can say that having a team behind you will not only help you produce a quality book, it will give you the opportunity to have a great launch day and earn Amazon bestseller status!

That in itself is extremely cool. 

However, the way I see it, your book gives you an enormous opportunity to grow! The opportunity to represent the message your story is conveying to the world. I’d like to say here’s what will happen next but, I simply have no idea. But something new is associated with you and you just never know who, what, or where it might lead to. I guess for me, that’s a feeling and place I want to be around. 

ML: Lastly, what do you hope parents and children take away from The Mirror Box?

WB: I hope that this story inspires grandparents and parents to openly display their unconditional love for their children and one another. I’d like to see grandparents take the time to create a keepsake mirror box for their grandchild. I’d also like kids and adults to come to a deeper understanding of how we’re so much more than physical beings.

ML: Thank you, Wade, and congratulations again.

Watch the Full Interview:

Pick up your eBook or paperback copy of The Mirror Box on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or your local Amazon Marketplace.

You can learn more about Wade and The Mirror Box on Facebook, Instagram, and at bergnerbooks.com.