Angie Lucas
Angie Lucas
Children's Author / Freelance Writer / Memory Keeper
 
 

 Reader, Writer, kidlit Author.

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a story of healing & hope

 
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coming to a bookstore near you july 23, 2019

My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon is a story for children dealing with loss—or for those who need help relating to a grieving friend. Although it deals with a heavy topic, this book employs relatable characters, a light tone, touches of humor, and an overarching message of hope.

 

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From the Blog

From the Blog
Who is This Book For?
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Kirkus Review: "Both Sensitive & Sensible"
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Sharing Time

Insta Goodness

A friend challenged me to post seven books I have loved on Facebook...covers only, no reviews, one a day. I was super proud of myself for not overthinking the whole thing, as is my usual m.o. 🤣 I can seriously spend an hour debating the simplest decision. But this time, I just plucked seven beloved titles off my bookshelves and shared away—without even worrying about hurting the other books’ feelings! 👊🏻 I’ve added them all to my Stories today, if you want to take a peek. . And of course, I couldn’t resist an opportunity to share my opinion 🤣, so there are brief reviews in the comments over on Facebook.com/angielucaswriter . It’s fun to revisit favorite reads. What’s the first title you’d put on your list? 🤔📚
#Repost @raisingwonder, an awesome new offering from @sarahjanestudios 💜💜💜 ・・・ “There are very few picture books that handle grief and loss in a way that is light enough for a child to process and written in a way a child would actually like and want to read. This book is brilliant. And a new favorite. A child not struggling with grief will find it light and funny and sweet... they may not even pick up the fact his mother dies at the start. But A child with deep fears and hurt will find support and parents might see their hurt in a new way. This dragon is a representation of loss and how incredibly big and huge it can be (like a big, dumb dragon!) but the story is light and so helpful for parents to see how a child might feel and see it. I can’t recommend this new book enough. Thank you @angielucas for a much needed book!” 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 ... Are you already following @raisingwonder? This local (to me) creative power couple are behind the magical #loladutch books. 💜💜💜 I’m so, so grateful for the generosity and support of my local writing community.
The reviews on my book 😭... guaranteed to open the floodgates every time. THANK YOU to all of you who have taken the time to write one. It means so much to me and to the artist @birgittasif. Your words reinforce all the reasons we poured our hearts into this story. We want people in grief to know they’re not alone, and to recognize their new superpower—the ability to truly SEE and empathize with others who are carrying invisible burdens of their own. The reviews also serve a more practical purpose: they help the book’s ranking, which means more people will stumble on our book when they’re searching for a related topic. So, if you have a copy of #mybigdumbinvisibledragon, will you hop on Amazon and help me get to my goal of 25 reviews? Just 5 more to go! p.s. I know several of you have tried (Heather, Colleen, Jim) but have hit some weird Amazon brick wall. I thank you for the effort! If there are any Amazon experts out there who can explain why certain people have been blocked from reviewing this book, I’d love your thoughts...
Reading aloud to children is SO important, and honestly, I haven’t always been the best at it. Crazy thing for an avid reader and children’s author to admit, right? To be honest, it was a struggle getting this girl interested in books when she was little. And I gave up too easily. (Later, just before kindergarten, we discovered Keira was significantly far sighted 🤓! She didn’t enjoy board books as a baby because she couldn’t SEE them 🤦🏻‍♀️🤯. And by age 4-5, she had “decided” that books were no fun and that she didn’t like to read.) . In the last year, her attitude has really shifted. I think it started with a wonderful 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Romriell, reading Narnia to the class and celebrating with dress-up parties and elaborate classroom decor. 🎉🎉🎉 . I had tried reading chapter books aloud to Keira before, but her interest level was always meh...I had to cajole and coerce to get her to sit and listen for even a few minutes. Even with the hilarious Junie B. Jones books, when Keira was the perfect age for them. Even with magical pony sparkle princess books. . Finally, all of that “patience” is paying off. That’s in quotes because I wasn’t patient AT ALL. 🤣 I’d get discouraged and slack off, then I’d remind myself that this is important, so I’d muster the energy to try again. And again. And again. . Now, at the start of 3rd grade, Keira looks forward to reading with me at night. She listens intently. She reminds me if I forget. She complains if we don’t have time. AND she’s doing her 20 minutes of daily independent reading without (much) complaint. 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻 Small victories, am I right? . I have much more to say on this topic, but the question is: would I have cajole you, coerce you, and exercise some more of my non-existent patience to get anyone to read it? 😜 Let me know 👇🏻 and there just might be an actual blog post in the works... . #author #mybigdumbinvisibledragon #reading #readingwithkids
“It will be more than any of us can bear...” I remember New York City’s mayor saying on the news the night of September 11, 2001, when no one yet dared estimate how many lives had been lost. We were a nation in shock. Even though I had no personal connection to anyone directly affected by the attack on the Twin Towers, I was plunged into grief. As I reread my journal on the 18th anniversary of those horrific events, I’m taken right back to that time. I had forgotten so many details. Today, I found myself weeping, again, for all of those whose lives were forever altered that day. And for the girl that I was, with her tender and untried 25-year-old heart. A few days after this pictured journal entry, I continued: “Everywhere I go, people have a mournful countenance. Televisions are everywhere, in every public place, broadcasting news of the tragedy from every angle. There are more than 5,000 missing or presumed dead. There are 5,000 families with a story of loss and grief. And this entire nation is mourning with them. I have done nothing these past 5 days but go through the motions of work and listen to the news. I feel sick in the pit of my stomach; this is always on my mind. I feel guilty for feeling any sort of levity; I have not sought out entertainment. And I’m not alone. Nearly everyone I speak to is as affected as I am... I think we are all, as Americans, wounded deep in our hearts and seeking for solace. I know my heart is broken. I have only felt this weight in my chest (that fills my throat and my whole being) twice before: when Grandpa Hill passed away and when I broke up with my first love. I’m grateful that I know where to turn for peace.” . Then, as now, I sought comfort in faith, family, human connection, prayer, and in beloved hymns: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Lead Kindly Light, Where Can I Turn for Peace. And I was comforted. Not to the point that these vicarious and sympathetic sorrows disappeared—only that my heart was better able to carry them. This is why I journal. This ability to return, reflect, remember. This gift of picking up the loose threads of myself and my story, long before they were woven into the tapestry of memory. 💜
So, I clearly didn’t wear the right color for these backdrops ((Instagram fail)) but I picked up tons of Instagram tips and tools at the #IG4U event with @thealisonshow and @ashleyrosereeves that will help me fail less in the future! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 . Actually, that’s not true. I’m committed to failing MORE than ever, because trying lots of different things is the only way to find out what works, what resonates, what hits people right in the heart. ❤️ . Most importantly, I saw even more clearly what I do NOT want to do in this space. I’m here because I want to genuinely connect, share lessons learned, be real, be creative, be a voice, and share the message of my book—a message I believe in 1000%. What message is that, you ask? That our darkest moments and hardest experiences are what make it possible for us to truly SEE one another, as we are, and find empathy, connection, and hope. That’s why I’m here. I’m not here to be an “Insta-darling,” with her perfectly coiffed and coordinated children; her beach bod; her gleaming, crumb-free kitchen; her beautiful shelves of unread, books organized by color; and her exotic island vacations (unless Idaho counts as exotic 🤣). I couldn’t be that person if I tried. And that’s okay. We don’t all have to live those kinds of lives to belong here. I belong here, exactly as I am, with this body, this 40-something face, this imperfect life. And so do you. Why are you here? 👇🏻
Looking over tonight’s homework, I discovered that I am someone’s #1 favorite author. 💜 (Of course, J.K. Rowling might have beaten me out, if only Keira had been able to remember her name...😏)
Still funny, after all these years! Actually, this book is probably funnier to me now than it was as a child. I’m sure I didn’t get all the jokes, just like I didn’t get most things. I remember feeling generally confused about everything, all of the time. Who’s with me? 🤣 . Reading this book as a child, I probably wouldn’t have known the other meaning of “draw the drapes” or “dress the chicken” (in our house, we “closed the curtains” and did nothing of the sort to chicken)—even though it was obvious Amelia got it hilariously wrong. And I remember loving the idea of a grown adult who is as clueless as me, but who always manages to do at least one thing so well that all of her other mishaps are quickly forgiven. . Plus, I’ve always been a super literal person, so Amelia Bedelia is basically my spirit animal. . What childhood book would you like to read again, from your adult perspective? 👇🏻
Another #littlefreelibrary spotted in the wild! I seriously love these things. This one is up near the Point of the Mountain flight park, an 80-acre paragliding and hang-gliding launch point near my home. Last night, the winds were perfect, and there were dozens of colorful gliders aloft. I sat on the grass with a book and watched the daredevils sail around overhead. @littlefreelibrary
 
 
 
 
 
 
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