Once again, I find myself starting a post with an apology for the delay. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. At the beginning of the month, I officially packed up everything and moved into my new house in New Hampshire. Since then, I’ve been buried under more than a hundred boxes—mostly filled with books. Last Friday, I finally unpacked the very last one.
The house still needs a lot of work, and none of the furniture matches, but at last I was able to sit down and start writing again. I’ll share a full update about the move and the house in Wednesday’s post (keeping with the posting schedule I mentioned previously), but for now I wanted to give you a little context—and another apology—before diving into today’s topic.
Turning to Book Two
Today marks the first post about my second book. The inspiration for it came in two moments. The first spark hit while I was rereading a childhood book of fables I’d saved to share with my niece. As much as I loved it, the stories felt outdated, and I disliked the modern “updates” that simply swapped a character’s gender without really reimagining the moral.
The second spark came in 2021 while hiking Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. I bought a small notebook on the spot and began scribbling down ideas—short stories and fables for children that either reworked old tales with more meaningful lessons or introduced entirely new ones.
Rethinking the Ugly Duckling
One of those ideas was a retelling of The Ugly Duckling. I’ve always felt that its message—about rejection until eventual acceptance—could be reframed in a healthier, more hopeful way. In my version, a ladybug egg finds its way into a green beetle’s nest. Instead of being shunned for being different, the little ladybug is embraced and welcomed as part of the family.
I’m not ready to share the full story here (I hope one day you’ll be able to read it in published form!), but this retelling is especially close to my heart. Growing up as the only one with brown hair in my family, I often felt different myself. My hope is that this story can carry a gentler, kinder message for children who may feel the same way—reminding them that being different doesn’t mean they don’t belong.
It may be a simple, updated fable, but I hope it will one day reach someone who needs to hear it—that they are loved, accepted, and not alone.
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Elderflower and Pine 