The Moment a Book Becomes its Own

Ziva the Great Is Out in the World

This story took a quiet path to get here. It came together slowly, the way some stories do, asking for patience and care along the way. Now it’s finished, released, and finding its way into readers’ hands, which is always the hardest and most meaningful part for me.

Writing Ziva was never about explaining her past or solving the mystery of who she was before. It was about noticing what happens when trust starts to return, little by little. I wanted the story to stay in that stillness, even when it would have been easier to make things clearer or faster. There’s a moment with every book when you realize you can’t keep holding it anymore. You let it go and trust that it will find its way into the hands it's supposed to be and read by those who need it most.

I’ve been grateful for how Ziva has been received so far. The book has been thoughtfully reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, with an Editors’ Pick feature coming in their upcoming January magazine issue, and it was recently awarded Gold status by the Mom’s Choice Awards. I’m thankful for that care and recognition, especially for a story that I never set out to be anything more than a quiet and honest story.

Working with illustrator Rebeckah Gerstner was such an important part of this book. Her artwork carries so much of the feeling of the story. She understood Ziva’s strength and her tenderness in a way that still amazes me, and the book wouldn’t be what it is without her.

Now Ziva the Great is no longer just mine. It’s a book that can be discovered, shared, and read in many different ways. I trust readers to bring their own experiences to it and to find what they need inside its pages.

Thank you to everyone who has followed this story from the beginning, and to those just meeting Ziva now. The book is officially out, and I’m grateful to let it stand on its own.

With kind thoughts,

Cindy