Beech Tree News Network

Amy Tanner’s mother always had her nose in a book growing up. Valorie Tanner was a librarian who instilled into her children the importance of imagination and the escape a book offered.

“She was always a book person,” Tanner said. “We also had books and she was always reading to us.”

Tanner’s mother’s life was taken abruptly five years ago by cancer.

“She got sick out of nowhere,”  Tanner said. “We found out she had cancer and she died two months later.”

After Tanner’s passing, Amy and her siblings came across a collection of children’s books their mother had collected without them knowing.

Other than a sixth grade language arts course that stimulated her writing abilities, Tanner said she never considered herself much of a writer. In the wake of her mother’s passing though, she was compelled to sit down and write a story that had begun to form in her mind.

Tanner describes herself as a creative type who is still in touch with her inner child. She visits Disney World twice a year and still keeps up with programming on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

“ I had sent a text message that was sort of a story to somebody, I thought that would be a cute children’s story,” she said. “Within about 20 minutes I made a rough draft of that book.”

Tanner said the speed with which the story came to her was uncanny.

‘It came a little too easily to have been meant to be,” Tanner said.  “I thought, I have to do something with this story because it was almost like it was given to me, because it happened so fast.”
 
Tanner’s dream of releasing the story as a book came to fruition in February 2016 when “Kip and Cody: Best Friends With Big Dreams,” was officially released.

The book was self-published through LuLu.com, an online print-on-demand, self-publishing and distribution platform.
 
Tanner said the process of self-publishing was a huge learning experience, but one she is extremely grateful for completing.

“It’s a beautiful book, they did a great job,” she said. “I got the book in the mail and I had it for about 6 to 8 hours before I started crying because I knew I couldn’t show my mom.”

Tanner has gone to two school and signed books with kids, including Western Elementary in Ohio County.

Honoring her mother’s love for reading and sharing that joy with others was the core motivation behind getting “Kip and Cody,” published, Tanner said.

“We were such a reading family that I would love to find maybe somebody who could use the book for maybe five minutes as a way to bond,” she said.

“Kip and Cody,” follows the adventures of a penguin and polar bear who must decide what action to take when they are bullied by a flock of mean birds.

“They learn a life lesson, be happy with who you are and use your skills to help each other,” Tanner said.

“Kip and Cody,” is available for purchase online for $14.99 on LuLu.com and barnesandnoble.com.
 
Amy Tanner is the manager of the Morgantown McDonald's.