National Doll Day, 1st Sunday of August. I didn’t know that.
In the next year, dolls will be part of my life again. I’ve written a book titled Blue-Eyed Doll. It will be released in 2016 by 4RV Publishing. It’s in the final edit stage now.
The story of the Blue-Eyed Doll is historical fiction for middle grade readers concerning a doll, a historical event in 1929, the growing up of the character Ruth Mary and how the doll Isabella determined her life choices in 1945.
Selling books on the road has been an education. I’ve learned about slug burgers in Iuka, ghosts in Biloxi, growing luffa in North Carolina, and other surprising things. But the day I learned about the blue-eyed dolls was astonishing. I was at a Civil War reenactment selling Avery books when a man approached my table to talk. His tiny Japanese wife stopped to talk to my friend Chris. We all hunkered down under a picnic shelter in the cold Virginia spring rain. After a time Chris said, “Deanna, are you getting any of this?” She brought the lady to me and told her, “You need to tell this story to Deanna.” And she did. I couldn’t wait to get home to start researching. How much of this story could be true? Why hadn’t either Chris or I ever heard anything about this huge project? It was American history, after all.
I had a great time researching museums with ties to the doll project and fun writing the story. I signed the book contract in 2013. I’m making origami paper dolls to promote the book. Museums across the country are planning to put their doll on exhibit when my power point presentation and Blue-Eyed Doll books visit them next summer.
I continue to learn new and awesome things about our country, our history, geography and the people who are a part of it. I even learned it’s National Doll Day. Did you know that? I’m really celebrating it, as I’m so close to writing The End, and starting to plan a tour across the West with Dave, a blue-eyed doll, and a box of books.