Jan Ezelle

Jan Ezelle is a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature.

When asked if there were any part of "Legend of the Dewberry Harvester" that represented her, Jan stated, “The main character, I suppose. He reminds me of myself in some ways. He had to overcome fears and obstacles during his adventure, whereas I’ve dealt with much the same, living with slight speech impairment due to hearing loss and Retinitis Pigmentosa, a slow, progressive form of blindness. So, just as 'he' stepped out of his home to face his fears and obstacles, I’m stepping out to overcome my fears by trying to accomplish something I’ve never done before.”

“I had written pretty good short stories and essays while in high school,” Jan continued. “But I didn't seriously consider becoming a writer at that time because my eyesight was okay and so I occupied myself with other interests. But with the deterioration of my sight as I got older, I realized writing was the only thing I had to fall back on which inspired me to take a writing course with The Institute of Children's Literature. My writing now serves me as a way of being productive with my life while contributing to society in a positive way.” 

“The lesson I have learned from writing this novel, is that it stands as a message to those who feel they suffer some sort of disability,” Jan said. “No one should let obstacles—or fear—stand in the way of achieving their dreams. Rather than focus on what I couldn’t do, I had to focus on what I could do.”

While her first novel now ranks top stars + Silver Star with Readers Favorites, Jan plans to pursue other writing interests for both children and adults.

Other:
Beautifully illustrated animation now leaps off the pages onto Jan's story mugs, blankets and pillows...

http://jansnestofthings.com
http://jansnestofthingsextended.com