Once upon a time there was a woman named Ayn Cates Sullivan. She was blessed to have grown up in a family that was rich with stories and fables passed down through generations. They would tell these stories to the rest of the family in order to teach each other about life, love, and inner strength. Well Ayn grew up with these stories buzzing away in her head as she grew up. They helped her as she earned her doctorate. They guided her as she became an editor for King Fisher. They steered her as she raised her own family. When it came time for her to pass the stories on to her own children Ayn had a bit of a revelation. She wanted to make a children’s series out of these stories so her children could carry the tales around wherever they went in life. Then she realized that she wanted other children to have the joy of knowing these stories as well, so she wrote an inspiring children’s book called “Sparkle & The Gift”.
Ayn’s "Sparkle & The Gift" tells the tale of a child named Sparkle with an indomitable personality and emotional fortitude. She simmers with an innocence and inner light that she is determined to keep alive in a less than fair world. In her adventures, Sparkle deals with her problems by talking to members of her family who tell her various stories about self-acceptance or love to inspire her. Sparkle learns from these tales and in the second book in the series, "Sparkle & The Light" (due out this spring), she learns to overcome situations where she feels bullied or misunderstood.
Obviously these stories are similar to those that Ayn learned from as she grew up. Even when she was across the ocean at King’s College, London, earning her PhD in Literature, she was able to find solace in such tales. She knows how useful a meaningful story can be and that is why she wanted to make a book that kids of all ages could take with them whether they were going to a new school or off to college in another state. That saying kids of all ages truly does apply to Ayn’s work as readers ranging from 5 to 75 have written to hear about how much joy they have found in her writing.
A spiritual woman, Ayn came up with the idea for Sparkle while deep in meditation. She infuses Sparkle’s tales with elements of natural spirituality, allowing Sparkle to teach its readers about being one with nature and themselves. In the world of children’s literature, it is quite refreshing to see such themes weaved simply and effectively into a story.
“Sparkle & The Gift” marks the beginning of something magical in the world of children’s literature. It is an inspired, personal, and spiritually aware work that can appeal to more than just little children and a book like that is worth experiencing. What’s more, it’s only the beginning. Ayn plans on releasing a series of 5 books involving Sparkle to give people even more inspiring tales to help them overcome their issues and remain true to their honest selves. You can experience the magic for yourself and find “Sparkle & The Gift” and Ayn’s upcoming books online on Amazon or at: www.ayncatessullivan.com. Sometimes, all we have to be reminded that everything we need is already within us.
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