Story Behind The Book
Early in 2007, thirteen year old Maggie Mei Lewis told her mother that she was going to write a book. By April of that same year, Maggie completed most of the story and was looking for an artist to illustrate it. She found an artist on eBay, Melody Lea Lamb, who was willing to illustrate the book. By the spring of 2008, illustrations for Moonlight Memoirs were well underway and Melody auctioned off each original painting on eBay.
During the fall of 2008, with the illustrations completed, editing began. At this point, a publishing company, Good Times Press, LLC, was started. After numerous rounds of editing, the printing process began in the early spring of 2009 with Good Times Press contracting with Self-Publishing, Inc. for even more editing, then layout, design and finally, printing the book both digitally and by off-set printing.
Maggie is very happy to present Moonlight Memoirs – Remembering That Family and Friends Are Forever, a culmination of over two years of inspired work. She thanks everyone who helped her with her book.
Reviews
A child's growing awareness of the mortality of people and pets prompts a
natural curiosity about what happens after death. In this picture book,
young author Maggie Mei Lewis shares a comforting view of an afterlife
where the living are loved and watched over by the people and animals
who have left life before them. <p> When two mice take a walk on a snowy
winter night, they are surprised by an old silver mouse who takes them
on a journey "to learn a great lesson." They follow the silver mouse to a
mysterious clearing filled with a variety of woodland creatures who
"emerge out of nowhere" and "glow with a soft, gentle light." These
forest creatures share a vision of life where the dead are ever-present,
acting as guardian angels for their loved ones.</p><p> The message is a
soothing one that will bring comfort to children who are struggling
with a loss and will satisfy the imaginations of those who are simply
wondering what's next...</p><p> Melody Lea Lamb's lifelike...paintings
of mice, rabbits, cats and other natural creatures are centered on each
page, surrounded by short bursts of text and faint images of animal
tracks. This creative layout gives the book a cozy feel, and invites the
reader to keep turning pages.</p> This is the author's first book,
and for a person just barely out of childhood herself, she does an
admirable job of presenting the difficult concept of mortality in words
and images that are understandable and even soothing to children...many
families and children can take comfort in the thought that "your loved
ones are always ever near." --<strong>Foreword CLARION Reviews</strong><strong></strong>