Adventures of the Super Bunny Club is my baby. My first book. A book I wrote after my mom died. I would escape to my office (aka Blue’s room) and the words would pour out of me. My only goal was to write and publish a book that would bring me and my readers joy. Did I and do I have bigger dreams for it? Yes of course, but I feel like it’s time to get back to basics and for me, that starts by explaining how and why this book came about. Lately I’ve just felt so much pressure to market my book and while that’s certainly important, I feel like it’s starting to eclipse some of my passion and joy. So come on a journey with me to learn a little bit more about my history and how we ended up with a book about four international spy bunnies.
It All Started with Bandit
I’ve always had bunnies in my life. When I was a little girl my sisters brought me my first bunny and excitedly yelled up the stairs, “MOM! I got a bunny!” To which she replied, “It better not be a real one!” My sisters laughed and I just hoped I would be able to keep Bandit, a black and white Dutch. Bandit became my everywhere companion and was always with me while I read on the back porch or backyard. I read SO much when I was little. In retrospect, it was an escape for me . We lived with my grandfather who wasn’t the nicest man which stressed out my mother, and she took it out on me. Bandit absorbed more than a few of my tears as a little girl. I had to put him to sleep when he fell and broke his back but I will never forget him and how he ignited my lifelong love for all things rabbit and bunny.
Fast Forward to
A Bunny Named Blue
So many years and many bunnies later, I found myself in my 40s and was rabbit-less and life just felt a little less than. I finally convinced my husband that I want another bunny in my life and I get A Bunny Named Blue. Well, to be honest I just named him Blue but then decided that he needed an Instagram page and @abunnynamedblue was born. Little did I know that the posting of pictures would lead me to a book, a community, and some new friends all over the world.
Agent Rupert to the Rescue
While perusing many Instapages full of adorable bunnies, I came across @agentrupert in Hungary who talked of being a spy bunny. As you know (or now you do), bunnies on Instagram are very much in charge of their own accounts so Blue introduced himself, asked if he too could become a spy bunny, and the beginnings of an international spy bunny network were in place. It’s important to note that Blue, Agent Rupert, @smurfyone and @dino_dodo_bunster are all similar blue/gray colored lop-eared bunnies which obviously contributes to the strength of their bond. Once Rupie, Blue, Smurfy and their sister Dino were all acquainted, the stories started to write themselves and I was just privileged enough to write them down.
So Why a Book?
There are a few reasons I wanted to write a book though I might not have been aware of all of them at the time. One, I had lost both of my parents within a year of each other and I was devastated and heart-broken and needed an outlet. Two, I knew I had a book in me and I needed to get it out. Three, what better than to write a book about my all time favorite animal (and my spirit animal)? Four, it allowed my imagination to run free. When writing, I had zero expectations about whether or not my books would sell and I didn’t care. I just had to write. When I think about it, I spent a lot of my childhood playing with small animal figures and creating worlds for them so this book is basically just me getting to be a kid again in some ways. And before I knew it, the Super Bunny Club was born and published.
What Now?
Like I said in the beginning of this now-probably-too-long-post, I feel like the pressure to constantly market my book or think about marketing or plan for marketing or read about marketing has become overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, and this is especially true for an independent author, book marketing is essential and it’s up to me (ME and only me!) to get it done. But is it fun? Meh. It’s not as fun as living in the world of the Super Bunny Club and watching their adventures unfold that’s for sure. And so, I’ve decided to stop putting so much pressure on myself and so much of my mental focus on marketing and advertising. It’s time to get back to what brings me passion and joy. It’s time to market a little and write a lot. It’s time to stop worrying about the outcome and return to my initial goal which was just to write a book that people would love. But book two this time. It’s time to stop worrying about whether or not I’ll find a publisher, if I’ll have enough funds to self-publish, if I’ll ever sell all the copies of my first run. It’s time to bring the magic back and I hope you will join me on fur-filled and always fun journey.
But you tell me?
Now that you know the why behind Adventures of the Super Bunny Club, you tell me: what adventures would YOU like to see the Super Bunny Club go on next?
Book, bunnies, rabbits, writing
