Roastery Dreamin'

Literally a Hop, Skip and a Jump (over a fence) from my house is a Coffee Roastery. Nestled amongst tropical plants, a canopy of trees and a rice patty field, is our neighborhood coffee house. Open air, green house type architecture, with just the right balance of sunshine and shade to keep cool in the Thai heat- the Roastery is the perfect place to Dream. After of course the obligatory Instagram photo is taken and uploaded for the world to admire, I set the phone on silent this morning and waited for my guest to arrive. Equipped with an Americano, pen and idea journal-the task is simple yet daunting.

How do I incorporate Sign Language into my next children's book? And on a global level how do we represent the deaf community in children's literature? I am a pioneer once again, completely ignorant, exploring new territory and hoping my interview will pave the path for my next project.

Once my guest arrives and we settle into our brainstorm session, it becomes apparent to me that I have found a new community of people with like minded dreams to see more representation and inclusion of deaf characters in kid's books. My Spirit is soaring as I find possible connections to get my story translated into several Sign Languages. For those who may not realize, each country has a very different type of Sign Language available. I hadn't even thought of it until my friend mentioned that there is a difference between British and Irish Signing. Maybe I was assuming that the UK just had one standardized language?! After speaking with this incredible woman, I'm getting my hopes up that this dream can become a reality. With a connection in the States that I already have with ASL (American Sign Language) and now Bristish and Irish, I have now made a connection with people who know Thai Sign Language!

So if anyone reading this wants to get involved with our next Himani Readers Project now is the time to come on board! Please email Jules at himanireaders@gmail.com if you would like to help with translation, or can help network amongst the Deaf Community in your native country-let me know.

Also for those who would like to donate towards this particular cause please press the Peacock icon on our website in the top left corner of the Home Page. The Peacock icon will directly take you to our personal PayPal Account. (This is not a non-profit tax deductible organization and cannot be used as a tax write off). However for our friends, fans and family that know us, trust us, believe in our mission this is a chance for you to give out of the generosity of your hearts. We'd love to have investors come on board and if you're interested please send us a message on fb, instagram or email!

Today was a productive morning. With our coffee cups drained and our hearts full, we left our cozy meeting with a bounce in our step. The endless possibilities, opening up a new doors

to this particular minority group around the world-books in their own Sign Language....what a dream. Let's make it happen-Join Us!

With gratitude,

Jules