The Early Years-
I was born in Alaska during the summer of 1970 to
Ron and Jo Smith. We lived in the quiet bedroom
community of Eagle River, just 10 miles north of
Anchorage. I grew up as the oldest of 4 and
received my diploma from Chugiak High School.
While I spent a couple of years at college in Arizona
and a few winters skiing the slopes of Utah, Alaska
has always been my home.
And writing has always been my passion. Journals,
poems, and short stories seem to have occupied my
time the most. My first completed work was "The
Baby Caribou". Believe it or not, that was 3rd grade,
30+ years ago, and I still have it!
I was born in Alaska during the summer of 1970 to
Ron and Jo Smith. We lived in the quiet bedroom
community of Eagle River, just 10 miles north of
Anchorage. I grew up as the oldest of 4 and
received my diploma from Chugiak High School.
While I spent a couple of years at college in Arizona
and a few winters skiing the slopes of Utah, Alaska
has always been my home.
And writing has always been my passion. Journals,
poems, and short stories seem to have occupied my
time the most. My first completed work was "The
Baby Caribou". Believe it or not, that was 3rd grade,
30+ years ago, and I still have it!
About Shawn Rogers
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My Own Family-
I met my husband at a ski lodge in Alta, Utah.
Together, we traveled the seasonal circuit-
working winters in Utah and summers in King
Salmon, Alaska. To us, it was the perfect balance
of snow, sun, and fun. Chris and I eventually got
married, on the ski slopes no less. And then made
the adult decision to settle down, choosing
Anchorage to be our permanent home. Today, we
are the proud parents of 3 beautiful children.
They keep us busy and I wouldn't change a single
thing about it. As a wife and a mother, I think I
finally understand what perfect balance really is.
I met my husband at a ski lodge in Alta, Utah.
Together, we traveled the seasonal circuit-
working winters in Utah and summers in King
Salmon, Alaska. To us, it was the perfect balance
of snow, sun, and fun. Chris and I eventually got
married, on the ski slopes no less. And then made
the adult decision to settle down, choosing
Anchorage to be our permanent home. Today, we
are the proud parents of 3 beautiful children.
They keep us busy and I wouldn't change a single
thing about it. As a wife and a mother, I think I
finally understand what perfect balance really is.
The 1st Book-
Chris and I were fresh off the fishing-lodge life and
the memory of those bears at Katmai lingered in my
mind. I fell in love with them, everyone does. After
our first child was born, I started writing a story
about two little cubs. Writing was the easy part.
The words seemed to flow and after several nights I
was finished. I liked my story, but now what?
Lacking confidence, I shelved it. Two years later,
our second son was born and I pulled my story out
of the closet. I began the process of illustrating it.
Cutting and pasting seemed a natural choice
because the boys and I were constantly doing
crafts. We always had glue, scissors, and
construction paper handy. Plus, I enjoyed it.
However, doing this art was time-consuming. The
tiny details required tiny cuts and sometimes my
fingers felt like sausages! After about a month of
working long nights on a project that I wasn't even
sure had a future, I shelved it again. Five years
passed and I lost my mother to depression and
suicide. It was a very sad time... But, it's true, life
is for the living and dreams won't come true by
themselves. So... Once again, I pulled my story out
of the closet and this time I finished it.
Chris and I were fresh off the fishing-lodge life and
the memory of those bears at Katmai lingered in my
mind. I fell in love with them, everyone does. After
our first child was born, I started writing a story
about two little cubs. Writing was the easy part.
The words seemed to flow and after several nights I
was finished. I liked my story, but now what?
Lacking confidence, I shelved it. Two years later,
our second son was born and I pulled my story out
of the closet. I began the process of illustrating it.
Cutting and pasting seemed a natural choice
because the boys and I were constantly doing
crafts. We always had glue, scissors, and
construction paper handy. Plus, I enjoyed it.
However, doing this art was time-consuming. The
tiny details required tiny cuts and sometimes my
fingers felt like sausages! After about a month of
working long nights on a project that I wasn't even
sure had a future, I shelved it again. Five years
passed and I lost my mother to depression and
suicide. It was a very sad time... But, it's true, life
is for the living and dreams won't come true by
themselves. So... Once again, I pulled my story out
of the closet and this time I finished it.
The 2nd Book-
What an exciting experience book number one
turned out to be. I learned so much during that
whole process. This second time around, I was
able to put it all to use. Instead of taking me 7
years to complete, the "Summer Fishing
Adventure" took just 6 months from start to print.
The story itself had been in my head from the very
beginning. It didn't take long to get it down on
paper. But the artwork, that's another story. I
have my husband to thank for its completion. He
covered the household duties while I sat at the
table with my construction paper and cut, cut,
cut! I really had fun with this one. It brings to life
the summers Chris and I spent in Katmai with all
the bears and fish. And it reminds me of the
wolves we used to hear howling in the mountains.
When I first imagined these two bear cubs, I saw
them experiencing spring, summer, and fall. I
had an idea for every season except winter. Since
that's hibernation time, it seemed only right to
just let them sleep. However...I've had such a
positive response (and interesting suggestions) for
these little characters that there just might be an
adventure that happens during their long winter
nap after all!