It’s that last day of January 2025. I haven’t written a 2024 writing or reading wrap-up. My partner traveled a lot this month, so that meant lots of solo parenting on my part. We finally took the Christmas tree down this week. The world is a mess, and my brain is feeling that way, too. It’s a chaotic start to the year!
And to throw you all for a loop, my current work-in-progress is a novel for adults. It’s tentatively called Sunflowers at the End of the World and it’s a cozy dystopian novel about joy. Yes, that feels like a contradiction, but it’s all plays into my theme for 2025. Which is…
“Whatever the f%$@ I want!”
That’s not to say I’m shirking my responsibilities or being frivolous. I’m simply choosing to use my precious time and energy on the things I want to do. That means working on writing projects I’m passionate about, even if they deviate from my previous plans. That means leaning into causes that I’m passionate about. That means staying informed but also taking steps to filter out what and how much I consume when it comes to current events.
My work as an author, as a Board Member for my local library, and as a member of Authors Against Book Bans puts me in a position to double-down on protecting access to books and information in the face of a government who is actively trying to dismantle these things. This is one of the foundational principles of U.S. democracy, and I’m ready to fight for it.
There are a lot of other horrific things the U.S. government is trying to do, but I personally can’t fight them all without burning out. I also don’t have the know-how or resources to fight on every front. I’m picking a few and devoting myself to them. I’m also actively letting my Senators and other government officials know how I feel about the many issues plaguing the country. I’m finding 5 Calls a helpful tool for this.
I can’t and won’t try to do all the things. But there is a lot I can and want to do. I’m going all-in on those things and filtering out the rest.
What’s your word, mantra, or theme for this year? What causes are you fighting for?
Thank you so much to Katie for inviting me as a guest blogger, I am excited to share with you all about my newest picture book, Chameleon in Training.
Chameleons and Camouflage
The story features two chameleons, Commander Jackson and Edna, who have very different approaches to staying alive. Jackson, the camouflage master, is adamant on teaching Edna the proper blending techniques, but she prefers to do things her own way.
The core concept actually came to me when I was brainstorming for an entirely different book. During my stream of ideas, I drew a small sketch of what ended up becoming the spread “Feet Blue” and Chameleon in Trainingwas born. Like most of my book ideas, I didn’t understand the concept right away, I didn’t know what the final book would look like, whether it would be a character-driven narrative or more of a wordless art book. But from the very beginning, I felt so connected with the concept.
The Struggle with Blending In
A chameleon who doesn’t want to blend in? Story of my life. I remember from a young age not fitting in, at first it was due to gender, not conforming to stereotypical gender preferences as a kid, and then later having mental health issues and sensory sensitivities that made me stick out in school. I wore noise-blocking headphones and felt like a lot of people didn’t understand how uncomfortable I was without sensory accommodations.
I think with Edna’s story, I am in a way reclaiming a lot of hurt I experienced as a child, being ridiculed or reprimanded for not being able to do things in certain ways at school, or not conforming to gender norms.
I hope that, especially for neurodivergent readers out there, Chameleon in Training brings a sense of joy, and also reassurance, that your differences bring positivity into the world.
Diversity in Publishing
There is so much strength in diversity of thought, and I am excited to see so many new titles now featuring autistic characters, and characters with other forms of neurodivergence and/or gender nonconformity.
I’ve noticed as my career has progressed that people have given me feedback, saying they like how I “see the world” or think I have a “unique art style.” I think this distinct perspective people sense is at least in part due to my neurodivergence, and it feels validating to have my differences now celebrated.
Post Meridiem Press
Chameleon in Training and my other recent picture book I Live for the Sun were published by Post Meridiem Press, an independent publishing imprint I started to promote content less represented in the traditional publishing industry.
I tried, very briefly, to get a literary agent in 2021-2022, but didn’t receive much interest from the agencies I queried. I hear a lot from traditionally published authors that it takes a LONG time to get an agent, and it’s important to be persistent. This is true, and for those people who stick with it and land an agent and traditional publishing deal—kudos to you.
But, for me, I just felt like I kept writing new stories and querying new agents, and rejection after rejection, no one was getting to read my stories (save for my critique group and close friends/family—you guys are great!).
With my own independent publishing imprint, I have a professional platform to share my work. I don’t sacrifice the quality of work, I put forth my best effort, conducting thorough research for projects and leaning on my critique group for feedback. But I don’t need a “green light” from a team of traditional publishing professionals approving my ideas.
Confidence through Independent Publishing
I think creating the Post Meridiem Press brand has also given me newfound confidence in the direction of my work. I’ve always enjoyed concept development and experimenting with styles in the process. With independent publishing, I feel empowered to pursue any style I want. I don’t feel restricted to a certain topic, format, or design approach.
For my most recent picture book, Chameleon in Training, I worked in a looser, digital style, which I felt best reflected the protagonist’s free-spirited, nonconforming personality. For my picture book I Live for the Sun I went for a mixed media approach, using lots of materials including acrylic paint, gouache, ink, colored pencils, and digital brushes. And most recently, I’ve been experimenting with ink and nib pens. There are so many techniques I enjoy trying and incorporating into my books, a big part of my process is trying to find styles/formats I feel best convey the concept at hand.
I hope creators whose interests may sway from the mainstream feel reassured that independent publishing is a perfectly valid way to produce professional-level content while retaining your creative vision.
My book I Live for the Sun, for example, features a penguin protagonist who becomes depressed and eventually experiences suicidal ideation after his friend gets eaten by a leopard seal. Through independent publishing, I was able to attempt this difficult topic of suicidal ideation, scarcely found in traditionally published picture books, and share my story with a wider audience through stores and events.
More Indies, More Voices
I really do feel there is room in the publishing industry for these lesser-represented subjects and “indie” leaning styles or approaches, which may be more commonly exhibited by neurodivergent creators. I’ve found success thus far in my career by leaning into myself, and I hope other creators share their distinct perspectives as well, because I think everyone’s unique approach and life experiences are what make for compelling, powerful, books.
Chameleons must camouflage to survive…or must they? Why not have a disco party and snack on some tasty flies instead? Commander Jackson and student Edna duke it out in this fast-paced, witty attempt at Color 101: The Art of Camouflage. Class is in session!
“Chameleon in Training” is a picture book recommended for all ages. The story may especially delight neurodivergent readers through its celebration of nonconformity.
When an Adélie penguin loses his best friend to a leopard seal attack, he becomes distraught and grows increasingly depressed. In the midst of peril, a humpback whale comes to the Adélie penguin’s aid and shows what keeps her going through the toughest of times.
Collage and mixed media painted illustrations depict the beauties of arctic nature in this tale of friendship and perseverance.
Recommended for ages 8 and up. “I Live for the Sun” may be a helpful resource for people struggling with grief and/or depression.
Parker Milgram is an author, illustrator, and fine artist based in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Their debut picture book and art book No Ideas Allowed! and Book of Worlds: An Artistic Representation of Mental Illness were published in 2021; their third and fourth books, I Live for the Sun and Chameleon in Training, were published by Post Meridiem Press in 2023 and 2024.
Parker’s art has been featured in publications such as The Worcester Review, Worcester Magazine, and CM PRIDE and exhibited at venues including ArtsWorcester, Worcester Center for Crafts, and the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery. Their current creative projects span themes of mental health, friendship, and neurodivergence.
Guess what? I have another new book out. It technically came out yesterday, but we’ll just pretend that I’m organized and have been properly marketing my new book release. It’s called THE GREAT VOYAGERS: EARTH’S INTERGALACTIC AMBASSADORS. If you or your kids enjoyed SELFIES FROM MARS, you’re gonna like this one too.
This book takes readers on a journey through the solar system all the way to interstellar space. The Voyager space probes are the farthest reaching human-made objects are have been out in space for more than 45 years! And wait until you read about the Golden Records. They really are quite the incredible NASA mission.
I’m really excited to have another STEM nonfiction books for kids to get excited about space. I recently did a school visit where I talked all about Opportunity’s incredible journey on the Red Planet and my process of writing, revising, and publishing SEFLIES FROM MARS. I can’t wait to bring THE GREAT VOYAGERS to classrooms as well.
What space mission should I write about next? I have a couple in mind, but I’d love to know what your favorites are.
Book blurb:
Take a grand tour through the outer planets and beyond the solar system with the NASA Voyager space probes. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were the first spacecraft to explore all the outer planets and the first human-made objects to reach interstellar space. They each hold a golden record with the sights, sounds, music, and languages of Earth. These great Voyagers continue to reach for the stars as Earth’s intergalactic ambassadors.
The thing about grief is that each person experiences it differently, and it encompasses many different emotions. It can change over time, but it can also revert back to that fresh grief in unexpected moments. And it never goes away.
Recently, I was driving two of my kiddos to a travel soccer game. They were both in the back of the minivan, my 10-year-old reading and the 13-year-old playing on his phone. I had the radio tuned to the local alternative rock station that plays 90s music on the weekends, my favorite kind of music. The sun was out, the kids weren’t fighting, and I was in a good mood.
Kylene (left) and Katie (right) around the ages when we were singing “Dumb” in the car together.
Then, the song “Dumb” by Nirvana came on, and I was transported back to another car ride, one that was more than 20 years ago. It was a similarly nice day, and I was on the way to play beach volleyball with some friends. Instead of my kids as companions, I had my sister Kylene. She loved to sing and had a beautiful voice, and she wasn’t afraid to sing loudly in front of others. Not like me, I kept my tone-deaf voice to the confines of the shower and my car.
So when “Dumb” came on the radio, we were both singing along, Kylene considerably louder than I was. The song got to the end where Kurt Cobain, the lead singer, repeats the line “I think I’m dumb” over and over again. Only, that’s not what Kylene sang. She was belting out “African dough” over and over again. I cracked up, tears rolling down my cheeks, because she had no idea that she was singing the wrong lyrics.
Of course, being the amazing older sister that I am (and also a teenager at the time), I not-so-nicely pointed out that she was singing the wrong lyrics and her lyrics made absolutely no sense. When we got to the beach, I told all our friends of her mistake, and it became a running joke every time we heard that song. For the rest of her life…which turned out not to be that much longer because she passed away when she was only 16. (I’ve written about this before in “Still Mourning Kylene 20 years Later.”)
Fast forward to hearing “Dumb” in the minivan with my kids, and I once again had tears rolling down my cheeks. I had my sunglasses on and my kids were paying no attention to me. I didn’t want to upset them or have to answer any questions they might have asked, so I kept them oblivious to my silent tears. We’ve talk about Kylene, and they know it was a very hard thing to go through, but in that moment, I wanted to be alone in my feelings. When it got to the end of the song, I quietly sang “African dough” instead of the correct lyrics, a little smile breaking out on my face.
Hearing that song and having that punch of a memory hit me, it made me miss my sister so much. It brought up fresh grief mixed in with all the old grief. The sadness that my kids will never get to meet their Auntie Kylene; the weird emptiness of her not being here anymore, even when I have no idea what she would be like now or what our relationship would be like; and the loss of all the things that she never got to be and do, whatever those things might have been. There was also the humor and fondness of the memory.
Even now, all these many years later, the grief can be overwhelming and complicated and hard and unique. It’s no wonder themes of grief often pop up in my writing. There’s my upper middle grade book Witch Test where Liza is being bullied by her ex-best friend, which brings up all sorts of feelings about her late mother. And my YA Hamlet retelling Only Dark Edges where Delta is haunted by the ghost of her sister and spirals into a deep depression of grief. And my work-in-progress picture book about a little girl, whose sister named Winnie recently passed away, goes looking for Winnie-the-Pooh in the woods.
I’ve always said one of the reasons I write is to try and make sense of the world. Kylene’s death will never make sense to me. But writing about it helps me sort out my feelings. And when I publish works about grief, my hope is that it will help kids who experience grief realize they are not alone in their feelings.
Thank you, Katie, for asking me to be a guest blogger on your lovely website. I’m happy to introduce my new book Charlotte & Arthur’s Adventures – The Pumpkin Portal to you and your readers. This book cover has been beautifully illustrated by my daughter Rose, who is only 17 years old. Rose has worked together with me as a mother & daughter team on all our books since she was only nine years old, her first illustrations can be seen in, Seven Nights of Snuggles. She’s also done an amazing job of putting our book trailer together along with her dad’s music and my voiceover. Working with my daughter makes author events so much fun, as she often comes along with a craft activity for children. We’ve appeared at the Derby Book Festival, our local libraries and independent bookstores, and we even did a school book talk along with our Newfoundland dog in tow for World Book Day.
The Pumpkin Portal book and cover were inspired by our family trips out to our local pumpkin patch in Derbyshire, UK. Obviously, the book features a fictional version of it with a good dose of artistic licence for entertainment value. This is a beautiful farm near where we live, it has many different varieties of pumpkins and gourds in every size, shape and colour. I hadn’t realised you can get a blue pumpkin until I found one in their patch! Every year we visit together as a family to wander around their fields with the colourful wheelbarrows they provide, and we each pick a couple of pumpkins to decorate our woodland cottage with.
As well as their fields full of delightful colours we also visit the food marquee which is named the Witches Kitchen. Inside is always full of yummy food and drink choices and is surrounded by hay bales that you can sit on. There are also hay bales stacked up outside for children to climb on and fairground rides as well as other food vans and fun activities.
The story came to me when I thought about what might happen if a modern-day teenage girl had her Cinderella fantasy come true. Would she really like it? Or would her dream become a nightmare? Readers will find out as they follow Amara after she is whisked away from child minding Charlotte & Arthur at the Pumpkin Patch. Charlotte & Arthur must once again journey back to The Wheel World to save Amara from the Gnome King and his friend, Tricky Jack (the Pumpkin King). In doing so they learn about the magic of witches, go on death defying broomstick rides, have a close encounter with a mermaid and have fun with a baby dragon. During this adventure they will also unveil a hidden family secret to discover who they really are.
About the CHARLOTTE & ARTHUR’S ADVENTURES – THE PUMPKIN PORTAL:
Charlotte & Arthur are enjoying a day out at The Pumpkin Patch when their friend Amara is whisked away by a pumpkin portal. It’s up to Charlotte & Arthur to rescue her.
Grab your broomsticks for a trick or treat ride into a magical world. Zoom past dangerous mermaid filled waters, dodge flying pumpkins, learn about the magic of witches and fly a dragon.
Can Charlotte & Arthur rescue Amara with the help of their magical friends? Join them for a Halloween adventure on a path to self-discovery, as they unveil a hidden family secret and find out who they really are.
You can order this book through your local bookstore or it’s available in paperback and eBook online at Amazon.
About the Author:
Clare C-Saunders is from Derbyshire, England, UK. Clare has released three books to date, along with her young daughter, Rose, as illustrator. All made it into a top 100 Amazon best sellers chart. Currently she is writing her fourth book under the working title The Crystal Dragon’s Egg, which will be the last in the Charlotte & Arthur’s Adventures trilogy. Yule and the Helter Skelter had originally been a short story intended for her first book, but she decided it could make a better middle grade story. With 25 chapters it makes the perfect gift, not only as a book, but as an advent calendar for the whole family to enjoy in the festive run up. Next book in the series is, The Pumpkin Portal, featuring new character, Amara, who is whisked away by a pumpkin while child minding Charlotte & Arthur. The children must find a way to rescue her from the clutches of the Gnome King and his partner in crime Tricky Jack (the Pumpkin King) in this fairy-tale fantasy gone awry.
Seven Nights of Snuggles is a picture book for younger children. This book has seven delightfully illustrated stories designed to be read to children at bedtime. As well as books Clare has also worked in writing, producing and directing for radio. Her work includes an informative children’s internet safety campaign series entitled, The Internet Wizard and an interactive pantomime style radio play of Snow White. Today, when not writing, Clare can be found recording voice overs in her home recording studio, she voiced her own audiobooks for Seven Nights of Snuggles and Charlotte & Arthur’s Adventures – Yule and the Helter Skelter. You can hear samples of her audiobooks at www.clarecunliffe.com
Look out for more information on upcoming events, book festivals, magazine and blog articles, media interviews and special offers over on the following social media pages: Facebook: Clare & Rose C-Saunders IG: @theclarecs X: @MediaClare TT: @clare.csaunders
The Charlotte and Arthur’s Adventures series of books are published by Fisher King Publishing Ltd, find out more on their website.
