Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Dankert.
Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an elementary teacher and my covid silver lining happened when I walked away from the classroom for one year due to district changes. During the year away, I focused on my family and supporting my own children with their education. I was also able to spend quality time writing and learning about the writing and publication process.
I wrote the manuscript for The Kindness Machine and asked a local children’s librarian for advice regarding the next steps in finding a publisher. I read books about writing books and about the publication process. I learned about the Women in Publishing Summit, hosted by Alexa Bigwarfe. In 2021 I attended the five-day virtual conference, took pages and pages of notes, and networked with other authors. It was through that conference that I find my writing community. Shortly after the conference, my manuscript and my husband’s sample illustrations were accepted by Purple Butterfly Press.
Over the next year, we worked with the team to create the book, from edits, to illustrations, to book layout and cover design. The Kindness Machine was released on March 22, 2022. It is still quite a surreal feeling when people share pictures of the book or when teachers message me about reading it to their own students. I hope this book allows for the kindness conversation to start or continue in homes and classrooms around the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part of the writing process is the waiting game. Each time you submit anything, whether a manuscript or even a short story for a magazine, you spend a lot of time waiting. I was encouraged by another writer that when you send something off, start working on the next project. This way, you always continue to work on your craft and continue to improve your writing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a second-grade teacher and have been teaching for 11 years. I absolutely love teaching, especially reading. As an adult, I love reading but I didn’t always love it growing up. My goal is that when my students leave my classroom, they learn the power of books and that reading allows us to travel the world, celebrate other cultures and learn important information. For years I dreamed of writing a children’s book and I am proud to be able to share not only the physical story with my students but that I had to work hard to make this possible. Children often think that everything is easy for adults. When an adult can convey the idea that we also face challenges, they see us through a different lens and understand that they need to work hard to accomplish their goals.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid-19 brought about many changes for our family, the biggest being having me home for a year after walking away from the classroom due to district changes. I was able to be home and focus solely on my family and children as they navigated remote and in-person learning with restrictions. In the evenings and on the weekends when I would typically be grading papers or lesson planning, I found myself writing and learning about the publishing process. For so long, the idea of writing a book and collaborating with my husband as the illustrator was simply an idea, a bucket list item. I made it my goal to really pursue this dream and will forever be thankful to our covid silver lining for allowing this dream to become a reality.
Pricing:
- Paperback $10.95
- Hardback $21.99
- Ebook $4.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://christinadankert.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina.dankert/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaDankertAuthor/
- Other: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/52720475-christina-dankert
Image Credits
Chad Dankert
