For Donald Osborne of Windham, there was always something missing in his life. Growing up near Lewiston, he loved writing in school as a child and felt he had many stories that he wanted to tell, but life intervened and had other plans for him. He became a father, a stepdad and then a grandfather and his work as a lab processing technician kept him constantly busy. Somehow though, he found the time to write and publish poetry and that inspired him to try writing a children’s book, and the rest is history.
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| Donald Osborne of Windham's first book has been published and is a children's story set in Maine called 'The Turtle Who Wanted To Fly.' It is now available on Amazon and Google Books. PHOTO BY LINDA MONAGHAN |
His new book includes many references to Maine landmarks and Maine animals, and it comes from his love for the state, having spent his entire life here.
“I have lived my whole life in Maine, so it was wonderful to be able to include some of its natural beauty in this book,” Osborne said. “I love reading stories to my five beautiful grandchildren. It warms my heart when they ask me to read them one of my many stories. I love the imagination of kids.”
The most challenging aspect of his work on the self-published book was working with the illustrator while attempting to match their artwork to his vision of what the story of “The Turtle Who Wanted To Fly” depicts.
“That wasn’t easy,” Osborne said. “It took about six months to get it exactly the way I wanted it while working with Amazon Publishing Pros. The story fell together quickly. We tried to make it imaginative but also factual and certainly wanted to highlight the beauty of Maine with it.”
Although producing the book was a great deal of intensive work, Osborne said it gave him an opportunity to realize his vision of becoming a writer.
“The best part of all of this has been pursuing something that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “I’ve gone through some hard times in my life, and this gave me the purpose and direction to follow through with this to the end. I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish with this book. I’ve learned that it takes time and patience to do a book.”
According to Osborne, his favorite time to write is in the evening when he arrives home from work.
“I just take off and start writing,” he said.
“The Turtle Who Wanted To Fly” is the story of Smalls, a Maine turtle who dreams of flying. He imagines himself soaring across the sky with his friend, Talon, an eagle, who has told him many stories of adventure, secret places, and of the beauty and splendor of Maine. Smalls lives with his family in the small town of Monmouth, Maine and has many friends including a bunny, a squirrel and his best friend, Bare, the fuzziest little black bear you’ve ever seen. In the story, all of his Maine friends come together to make the dream of flying become a reality for Smalls.
Along with creating the story, Osborne also spent some time proofreading the children’s book before it went to press.
“I used to work as a proofreader, so I know how important that is,” he said. “I actually enjoy proofreading.”
The book was published in mid-September and can be ordered through Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $14.99. Osborne said that he is optimistic that local bookstores will carry “The Turtle Who Wanted To Fly” soon.
He also intends to donate a copy of the book to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland and to Camp Sunshine in Casco, a year-round retreat which provides respite, support, joy, and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families. Osborne also said he intends to see that children visiting local libraries and attending school in Windham will be able to read his book.
“The is just the first of many as I have many more children’s stories ready,” he said. “I plan to keep pursuing my writing. It’s taken me a long time to be able to do this, but I have done it. I hope many families enjoy my book and books to come. Never stop dreaming. Writing is something I’m really passionate about. I am living out my dream.” <
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