Shirley Alarie

I'm excited to share the story behind the story of Heaven is Better!

The past few years I've been really trying to find and follow God's will for me. Writing has been the path I've felt called to serve and after writing two adult books to highlight amazing women doing God's work, I was stuck.

I had no traction on my writing and had hit a wall. I enjoyed writing children's books and my husband had encouraged me to write more. So, even though it's one of the most competitive genres, I decided to 'write for Jesus' and dive into Christian picture books. It seemed to fit what I thought God wanted me to do.

A plan fell in place. I'd write books about the parables, beginning with The Good Samaritan. As I do, I plowed ahead and started plotting in my mind. The parable would serve as the foundation, but I couldn't make the idea work.

After two weeks of brainstorming different ideas, I hadn't found a cohesive plot. This story had existed for over two thousand years, but I still couldn't make it work on paper.

One morning, in utter frustration, I took it to God. "God, if I'm supposed to write children's books, I need your help, because what I'm doing isn't working. If you want this, you have to help me."

I actually said that prayer while I was making my morning coffee and by the time I sat down at my computer, I had a completely new book idea. The concept morphed into a storyline as I made my breakfast and by early afternoon, I saved my first draft of 'Heaven is Better'.

The ideas continued to flow and I can't wait to introduce Daysa the daydreamer to young Christians, beginning with 'Heaven is Better'. And yes, The Good Samaritan is still in contention for Daysa's daydreams, although I still haven't finalized the plot!

I pray that Daysa's imaginary journey into heaven opens the door for adults to talk to little Christians about the glory of God's kingdom and amazing eternal life.

Daysa the Daydreamer is a tiny girl with a larger-than-life personality and a ginormous imagination. I hope that came across in 'Heaven is Better'. Daysa's next adventures are already in the works, with the second book of the series due to launch for a 50-year anniversary celebration in April 2020 (Do you know what the event is? :) ). Her third adventure is drafted and has gotten a thumbs up from hubby as to the biblical storyline. Next is revisions and honing it up with my critique partners. I can't wait!