A few pages in progress featuring Finnius!

For the last several months, I’ve been working on an exciting project — a children’s picture book called, The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland. If you’ve been following along with my Instagram stories, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been spending most evenings painting scenes of Finnius, a little red-headed leprechaun, and Saint Patrick!

The project, somehow, is very close to wrapping up (fingers crossed!)!!! So, I wanted to share a little behind the scenes and introduce you to the author. Elise and I got connected through the Fiat Self-Publishing Academy, and I have to say, it’s been a pure delight to work with her.

Turns out, we have a lot in common. Specifically, we’re both entrepreneurial, creative, Catholic moms trying to learn new things, express our creativity, serve the world, and love our families. We’ve both learned a lot in this process, and it’s been such a gift.

Read on to learn more about Elise and how you can get your hands on a copy of The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland.

1. Tell us about yourself! (Where you’re from/live, your work, family, hobbies, etc. etc.)

My husband and I live in rural northern Virginia with our three young children (ages 6, 3, 2) whom I reluctantly homeschool. My background is in economics and writing/communications. Previously, I worked in DC for various think tanks and nonprofits and on Capitol Hill. In 2017, I co-founded Bellwether Communications where I ghost wrote op-eds and helped clients publish books for several years. I am still doing a little bit of that today, but now I spend more of my professional time helping my husband with his electrical company and my new creative hobby, writing Catholic children's books! I also love getting outside with my kids, investing in friendships in my community, reading with a cup of coffee, and traveling as life allows.

2. Tell us about The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland.

It's a redemptive and heartwarming story about a leprechaun living in Saint Patrick’s world. The leprechaun, Finnius, wants to be the richest leprechaun in Ireland. He spends his days pickpocketing townspeople at the market to fill his pot of gold, until one day, a vengeful farmer captures him. From that day forward, Finn must spend his days tending to the farmer's sheep in dreadful conditions (just like Saint Patrick did while he was a captive). But, after a surprising encounter with Saint Patrick, Finnius discovers riches of a different kind... It's intended to help children discover the true meaning of Saint Patrick's Day in a fun and creative way.

3. What inspired you to write this story?

I started a tradition of giving my kids Saint Patrick's Day books (and Lucky Charms cereal!) on the morning of Saint Patrick's Day. Over time we collected a stack of picture books about leprechauns and a stack about Saint Patrick, but I didn't like how "sacred-secular divide"-like it felt. What do leprechauns have to do with Saint Patrick, anyway? Not much other than Ireland. So I thought it would be fun to try to create a story that combines both Irish folklore about leprechauns and the true story of Saint Patrick. It seemed appropriate to try to "redeem" the secular aspect of the holiday rather than reject it. When my kids see images of leprechauns everywhere in March, I want them to be able to make a more concrete connection back to Saint Patrick.

4. What are your hopes for the story? (For kids, for families, beyond?)

My hopes for the story are first to make God's love known to the reader through Finn's character arc and inspire children with Saint Patrick's example as a great evangelist. On a broader level, I'd love to see the Christian publishing industry embrace more fictional story lines like The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland. Some publishers such as Word on Fire Spark are prioritizing Catholic fiction, but it is not the norm. Where is our generation's Narnia or Lord of the Rings? Jesus spoke in parables and we often speak to children through fairy tales. But modern Christian culture has lost its way in the art of fictional storytelling (part of the problem being the gatekeepers of the publishing industry). At the risk of hoping for too much, I'd love for this book to ignite a greater appreciation of Christian children's fiction.

5. What has the process of writing/publishing a book been like, especially as a mom to three littles!? What’s been a challenge or something you’ve learned? What about a highlight?

The process of writing and publishing this book has been so much fun. It has really felt like what Jen Fulwilwer, my favorite podcaster and comedian, calls a "blue flame" activity—it has given me energy and makes me come alive. So in that way I feel like it has made me a better mom.

But parts of the process have felt like major hills to climb. The book has gone through probably 50 drafts. That's about 48 more than I wanted. I learned very late in the process that I'd probably have to print my book overseas to make any profit. And launching a kickstarter campaign to cover my costs is one of the big hills ahead. Trusting it will be successful has required a lot of faith. I would have given up long ago if it wasn't for the help of the Fiat Self-Publishing Academy (where I connected with you!). I've met people through the Fiat Self Publishing Academy who are on the same self-publishing journey. We learn from each other, share information, and critique each other's work. Kate Frantz who runs the Academy is amazing and she's been a huge source of encouragement. Writing a book isn't something you can do alone, it's a communal act, and seeing that in action has been a major highlight.

5. Let’s talk about creativity…why do you do it? What’s the spark behind your creativity/writing? And what are your thoughts about business and entrepreneurship?

I believe that entrepreneurship better connects creativity to the true value you create for the world. As an entrepreneur—assuming you don't start off with a mound of venture capital funds to play around with—you're required to focus very narrowly on creating value for your customers, not just creating an allure of value. For context, my husband and I both used to work for non-profits, the federal government, and big corporations, and not knocking those types of jobs, but it's been very rewarding to leave that work behind for self-employment. I started a communications firm and he became an electrician and started his own company. Previously, our compensation and job security were directly tied to these giant market forces out of our control—donor funds, election results, office politics—and not necessarily good, creative work. Now we have more control over how we use our gifts to create value for the world. If we do excellent creative work, we will be rewarded for it. And that is such a gift!

As for the spark behind the creativity, particularly for this book, there are two things. The first I can only attribute to the Holy Spirit. When the idea for The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland came to me, it was all-consuming. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The only way to resolve that nagging-excited feeling was to just do it. God gave me the drive and the tools to complete this project and I can't waste that.

The other spark behind my creativity are my children who have inspired a new love for children's literature and holiday celebrations. I try to remember that babies and professional dreams always go together, even when my children require so much more of my time than I can dedicate to creative work. My professional calling has evolved through different seasons of life, but I've learned that my children don't take away from my creativity. They've made me more creative than I've ever been.

6. Where can people support you and learn more about the book?

You can sign up to get on my email list here and be the first to know when presale copies of The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland are available. You can also find me on instagram at @sacredsecularkidsbooks.

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Meet the Author - The Richest Leprechaun in Ireland