It’s my absolute pleasure to announce that Janet Dobson’s children’s book, Tracy and the Heroes in Blue has officially been released. To celebrate, Janet and I sat down to talk about her exciting achievement.
Miriam Laundry: Hi Janet! Congratulations on the publication of Tracy and the Heroes in Blue. Can you tell us when you started writing this book and who it’s for?
Janet Dobson: Hi Miriam. Thank you. I started writing Tracy and the Heroes in Blue in February 2021. It’s for children aged 4-8.
ML: Where did the inspiration to write this book come from?
JD: It came from my volunteer work with the Roc Solid Foundation© (RSF). It is RSF’s mission to build hope for all children and their families fighting paediatric cancer. Tracy and the Heroes in Blue is a direct result of my experiences working with these families.
ML: That’s incredible, Janet. The RSF’s mission is so important. In addition to your experience with RSF, what inspired you to become an author?
JD: I have always loved reading and writing and sat down to write my first book around the age of nine. While nothing ever came of it, I so enjoyed telling my story in my own words. Upon learning of your class, I decided to give it a go and learn something new and see what I had in me. Turns out I truly had a story to tell that even I wasn’t aware of at the time!
ML: I’m so glad the Publishing Mastermind was able to help you find the direction you were looking for. What was your favourite part of the program?
JD: The constant connection with my fellow authors and seeing their progress was awesome as well as inspiring. We were and still are all pulling for each other!
ML: Community can make such a big difference in a writer’s journey. I’m so glad you found such a tight-knit group to share that journey with. Of course, any journey comes with its own challenges. Did you face any challenges as you published Tracy and the Heroes in Blue?
JD: My computer knowledge is very basic so that proved challenging at times. Also I’m even less knowledgeable with social media. But lucky for me, I was able to bring a great friend and marketing assistant on board to help me.
ML: Amazing! I find the toughest challenges usually teach us the most valuable lessons.
JD: Yes, the biggest lesson I learned during the publishing process was to enjoy the journey and to trust the people in my corner. Sometimes I get into my head too much and I just need to chill. Everything’s going to work out exactly the way it’s supposed to. The best memories I will take away from this is the love and support I’ve received from my friends and family when they learned what I had taken on. Their belief in me got me past some of the doubts I had in myself.
ML: Yes, I understand that feeling. That inner doubt almost held me back from sharing my message with the children in my life. Why was it important for you to share the message in your book?
JD: This is a subject-specific book, but one I think everyone can appreciate. When the idea came to me, I tried to find other similar books but had a difficult time. This told me that there is a real need for books like Tracy and the Heroes in Blue. I feel that families going through such a devastating time can find comfort in knowing that there are people out there who care and can show them that they are not alone on their journey and that there is hope.
ML: What do you hope parents and children take away from this book?
JD: I hope they feel the deep love that went into this book. For families that may be facing a paediatric cancer diagnosis, I hope this book will show them they are not alone and there are people out there who truly care. For others that may not be directly affected, I hope they will keep RSF in mind should they ever know of anyone going through such a terrible time and they will have the resources to share with them.
ML: Absolutely. Even if something isn’t directly impacting us, it’s still so important to remain aware so that we can help those who are directly impacted. Before we sign off, do you have any advice for the aspiring authors who may be tuning in?
JD: Believe in yourself and believe in the story you have to tell. If I hadn’t taken this chance, Tracy’s story would have never been told and that would have been a true shame. Don’t die with your music, or book as the case may be, still inside you.
ML: Thank you, Janet, and congratulations again on publishing such an empowering story.
Watch the Full Interview:
Pick up your eBook or paperback copy of Tracy and the Heroes in Blue on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or you local Amazon Marketplace.
You can connect with Janet and learn more about the life experiences that led her to publish Tracy and the Heroes in Blue at janetdobson.net and on Instagram (@janetsdobson) and Facebook (@JanetSDobson).
Janet Dobson
Janet Dobson is a mother, entrepreneur, real estate investor and devoted volunteer for the Roc Solid Foundation© (RSF). As a cancer survivor herself, Janet understands the importance of organizations such as the RSF. She has seen firsthand how the RSF is making life-changing impacts on families fighting pediatric cancer.
Janet wrote Tracy and the Heroes in Blue as a part of her mission to show families what hope looks like and that they are not alone on their journey. This is her first published book.
She happily resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia when she is not making adventures around the world with her daughter Steph.