We had the privilege of learning about a special book recently released; of the treasured and emotional journey of pregnancy and motherhood when author Kelly Louise Jarris shared her precious story, Seasons of You in this interview. An author who writes on personal, relatable and heartfelt topics, it is an honour to welcome Kelly back with her open, sensitive article* on what this book means to her. Kelly is also kindly donating a portion of the sale proceeds to the Miracle Babies Foundation in support of premature and sick newborns and their families doing it tough. Thanks so much, Kelly. 🙂
*Please note: sensitive topic of miscarriage included.
Seasons of You was a book that took a long time to come together. It’s a collection of all the thoughts and feelings I had during my journey of starting a family years ago. After going through a miscarriage and then having a baby born prematurely not long after, every pregnancy that followed felt incredibly special. I knew there were risks, but each little milestone during the pregnancy journey felt like a small miracle, and I marked off the days on the calendar as they passed. During a spring clean I came across my diaries from eighteen years ago, where Seasons of You originated.
Seasons of You is a book I wrote with all my heart. Writing it felt like reliving those moments of pregnancy all over again. A lot of my thoughts were in those diaries, and it’s been special to relive and reread them again and turn them into a book to share with other parents who may be feeling a mixture of emotions as their tummy grows.
The pictures in the book were perfect, and working with Sandunika Dissanayake, the illustrator, was wonderful. She understood what I was aiming for, and we worked together to get the book just right. It was amazing to see her drawings bring my thoughts to life.
The front cover is my favourite; featuring all the seasons in the tree almost like a family tree mixed with a tree of life. It was important to depict the seasons and she did that beautifully in each illustration.
When I read this to school children they seem to enjoy the baby floating in space. It’s been such a fun book to write.
 I have enjoyed sharing my stories with classrooms all around Melbourne. I adore meeting teachers and principals just as much as I do meeting the kids. They have taught me so much along with my own children.
It’s been a journey that I will continue to grow from. I hope you enjoy Seasons of You just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Article by Kelly Louise Jarris.
Seasons of You can be purchased from any good bookstore.
Barnes and Noble | Booktopia | Dymocks
Each book sold during the month of September 2023 $2.00 will go towards the Miracle Babies Foundation.
About the Author
As a mother of four boys, Kelly Jarris has been lucky enough to see the diversity in each child, which is how the characters came about for her first book, Wonderful Wishes. Kelly also writes and appreciates stories from life experiences, with her second picture book, Imagine Our Special Place. Her sister’s journey with terminal cancer inspired Kelly to write a book that touches on sibling bonds, imagination and feelings of the unknown.
Her third, fun picture book is Cheese On Toast, and her latest, an emotional journey of becoming a mother; Seasons of You.
Kelly has a background in veterinary nursing and was once an Australian wildlife rescuer.
Visit Kelly Louise Jarris at her website: https://kljbooks.com/
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