By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
In a world where every butterfly must find the courage to spread its wings, Elizabeth Moseley’s, “The Garden and the Glen” captures the beauty of standing out and soaring against adversity.
This theme of transformation and self-discovery was the highlight of Moseley’s book signing event at Ace Coffee Co. in Cave City on Sept. 11. Moseley, taking the stage at the venue’s event “alley” located next to the building, donned an outfit of deep blue, which mirrored her book’s protagonist; a blue butterfly ostracized by its tawny peers. With a fragile but resilient voice, Moseley addressed the crowd present, braiding together the threads that led her through her work.
“This book came from a very personal experience,” she said. “Many years ago I had three young children who were very proud to be accepted into a great school…the families at the school played a big factor in our lives, because during that time, I had to file for divorce.”
Moseley went on to speak about how the culture of the school affected not only her but her children, causing them to feel alienated from their peers based solely on this personal matter.
“I believe things have changed since then, but, for me and my kids, we felt like we did not belong.” Fluttering through examples, Moseley spoke on how her daughters were bullied and made to feel different for matters far outside of their control. “The play-dates at our house were not as popular as they were before.”
“As a parent I was dealing with how they felt that they did not fit in,” she said. “That sense of belonging that is so important to us.”
Moseley said her metamorphosis began where it would inevitably end, with a book. Seeking answers for the shunning her family experienced, she turned to the tales that others have spun in hopes of finding a story or fable that she and her children could wrap themselves within to avoid the feelings of exclusion.
After a disappointing search, Moseley took it upon herself to spread her wings and create the colorful world for which she and her family searched.
“The Garden and the Glen” follows a cast of characters consisting of creatures inhabiting a lush garden, with the main cast consisting of butterflies.
“I thought they were so small, and when you’re up against something really big, I think kids feel that they can’t compete with that,” Moseley explained when asked about why butterflies were part of her chosen cast. “I wanted the kids to see that even someone small can make a big difference.”
In reference to the story’s plot, Moseley said it was important to “get the color back into the garden.” Relating to the real life struggles, Moseley constructed a fictitious Papillon-problem to express the drought of literature that addresses children going through divorce and how differences are treated by those children’s peers.
These themes are embodied by simple concepts, which can relate to their younger audiences, with one of the more apparent themes being connected to the colors of the book’s cast. “Even though there was a mass of yellow butterflies, they were no contest to this one, small, little blue creature,” she said.
The reading in Cave City could not have taken place without Moseley’s publisher, a burgeoning team themselves.
Co-Founders Emily England and Molly Kramer came together to form Dream Lovers Publishing about two months ago. The philosophy of their business is best summarized by the greeting patrons receive upon visiting their website:
“Maybe you wrote a novel. Maybe you created a list of recipes. Or maybe you have a story you want to share with the world. Whatever it is, we want to help you bring it to life.
We act as a hybrid publishing house, meaning we can provide you with the expertise to publish your work but you have the option to retain the copyright and control over your content.”
When asked what advice the publishing house would give to young and aspiring writers the duo responded with, “Do it, chase it and write it…the bigger you dream the better, we think the name of the company speaks for itself.”
As the evening came to a close, Moseley left the audience with a lasting message, much like the message of her book, that each person has the power to transform and soar by embracing who they truly are.
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