If you have read The Tiger's Eye, Anna's Worlds: Book One, you may have noticed mention of Grandpa Jump Toe, whose journals documenting his exploration on Thera include wonderful drawings of the many amazing creatures he saw on his travels.  These magical drawings are, in reality, the work of my father, W.R. Cole, a marvelous sculptor and artist whose whimsical drawings have delighted friends and family for decades. My plan is to bring out a book of his art in the not too distant future. In the meantime, we will continue to feature his drawings here, where his alias, Jump Toe, will keep everyone entertained.

I began writing the first book of the Anna’s Worlds series about ten years ago when we were on vacation at our favorite ocean retreat in Cambria, California. I wanted to write a fantasy series featuring a young girl as the hero, a young girl who might be an inspiration to other young girls just becoming aware of themselves as unique, special people.  I also wanted to write about how the Earth is being harmed by human activity but I didn’t want the usual heavy-handed preaching that often happens to writers who care deeply about the natural world. Instead, I chose to weave tales of magic, adventure, the discovery of another world, struggle against evil forces, romance, love and the courage and bravery of three young people and their animal friends. But the theme behind the stories is always the desperate need to save the Earth.

From time to time, I’ll post stories on this blog space about real life heroes who are making a difference in the ongoing efforts to care for the Earth and all life.  I will try to provide links to websites where we can learn from the multitudes of brave folks who work to stop pollution, stop animal cruelty, preserve open space and ecosystems, care for wildlife, clean up our oceans, our air and our water and educate us on how to live more lightly on the Earth. I hope these stories and Anna’s adventures will inspire new generations of young people to become active participants in caring for the Earth, our home, our refuge and our future.