CHILDREN'S AUTHOR WANTS TO SHARE TALENT

In her attempts at getting her children's Christian coloring books published, Laura Marie Stoner of Jackson has had her ups and downs.

She began working on the series of books in 1978, starting with the life of Christ. She was driven by a purpose -- and it wasn't to make money.

"These were stories children need to hear," Stoner said. She said she knows these days it takes two parents working to "keep shirts on their children's backs -- I know they don't have time." She says it's very important that these stories are taught.

"With these books, it only takes five minutes."

The four books in the series are, "The Story of Jesus," Exodus," "Prophets, Priests and Kings," and "Acts." They pretty much tell the main stories of the Bible.

And Stoner isn't not knowledgeable when it comes to things Biblical. She is a congregation Methodist minister.

She started drawing Bible stories when her children were young and she wanted to teach them about the Bible.

"After five minutes, I'd lose their attention," she said. "So I'd sit and draw pictures to go along with the story."

It didn't register with her that she should share her gift with other children until her own began leaving home.

When her youngest daughter married, suddenly "Mamma didn't have anything to do," she said, adding that "the Empty Nest Syndrome really set in then."

It took her daughter to give her one final push in the right direction. "She called me and said, 'Mamma, why don't you put the book together like you always wanted.'"

And so she did. She completed the first book in 1982 and was promptly rejected by 77 publishers. She doesn't blame them, she said, she had no idea how to approach a publisher then.

"One publisher told me he really liked my work," she says. "He said if I could sell 2,000 copies myself, he'd publish it."

She said she had no way to sell that many, though. Her books finally did see print, but not through a big-time publisher.

She went to David Stewart, a printer in Marble Hill. She didn't have enough money to pay him for the printing cost, but he had advice for her, which fortunately was free.

"He told me to go out and pre-sell enough to pay for the printing, and that would get him enough for the paper," Stoner said. "And that's basically what we've done ever since."

She says it's a vicious cycle, but that's what she does -- sells enough to buy more copies, sells those and buys more copies. But she says it's worth it.

"I have had limited success," she said. "There are over 1,000 copies of the Jesus book that have been sold."

She says that of the four books, this one is the most popular and her favorite and she thinks it will be every one's.

"It's the life of Christ," she said. "It is the most important story ever told."

She admits she is not a professional artist, but she loves to draw. When creating the books, she used her daughter's Barbie dolls as models for her people.

"And it's good that she had a Ken," she said, "so my men could have shoulders."

If you think her version of Nicodemus looks suspiciously like her husband, it's because he does -- she used him as a model.

She even used a sleeping lady in church as a model once.

As she points some of the pages in her books, she can't help but comment on them.

"Look there," she says pointing to a picture of Thomas, the doubter. "Poor Thomas, always worried."

She turns to a page with Judas Iscariot on it, "Look at him, you wouldn't trust that face on a bat."

She said she just gets an idea in her mind and goes with that, hoping that the finished work comes out believable.

She hopes that the work also is fun for children. "I put it in words they can understand and condense it down as much as possible."

And she has gotten comments from people complimenting her on her work.

She tells of the time she got a letter from a little girl thanking her for the book. She's gotten comments from Sunday School teachers who use her books.

"I like it when adults compliment me, but there's nothing as touching as what the children say," she said.

Stoner said she has written other books, all with a moral lesson, but not all are about the Bible. She cites the story she did on the 12-toed angel.

While having them printed is a "blessing" she still holds a desire for getting them published.

"There are ways," she said, "like sponsorship. I just want to get the books out there."

She said the books are a good way to teach your children the difference between right and wrong.

"We need to teach our children the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments. We can't teach them at school anymore.

"The stories are very important."

The books can be bought at The Way, the Southern Gospitality in Marble Hill and Bridges in Scopus.