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Her Thoughts And A Canvas | Shook Chapter 13 Part 3
Dyan is working on self-publishing her book. Her team? The Blue children! The more she lives with them, the more she finds out how they really feel about her and themselves...
And so finally, Mr. Blue sat Dyan down that afternoon at the table with a list of things that had to be done before the book was released to the public. Maya was there as well, eager to be there when the book went up for sale.
Dyan could hardly wait! If everything was done right, then that night her book would be open to buy by anyone!
Mr. Blue’s eyes slid across the list and then he looked up at Dyan. “You’ve had beta readers read your book, right?”
Dyan nodded. “Yep. Royal’s read it, Maya, Mrs. Blue. I even told Bear about it.”
Maya laughed at this.
“And, it’s got all the necessary book stuff? ISBNs, barcodes, all that?” Mr. Blue asked.
“Yep.” Dyan gave one big nod.
“The cover, spine and back of the book art are done?” asked Mr. Blue.
Dyan smiled at Maya. “Em-hmm.”
Mr. Blue faked seriousness by clacking his papers against the table to straighten them. “Then I think you’re ready to publish!”
Dyan practically leaped out of her chair and began to jump around yelling with Maya.
“I did it! I did it! No! We did it!” Dyan launched her fist into the air beside her.
Wild Yonder rushed over, controller in hand. “Maya, there’s another dumb minigame I have to play in order to get to the next board in my game. Do you wanna play it?”
“Yes!” Maya quickly rushed over to the tv. That meant the only two left in the dining room were Mr. Blue and Dyan.
“Now we can set up your book on that distribution website, so that tonight your book will be out and rolling. Then we can advertise it, and I know a lot about advertisements from my businesses, so I’ll help you out with that.”
“Thanks Da- I mean thanks Mr.Blue!” Dyan had been around the Blue children too long. They all called Mr. Blue ‘Dad’, so she had gotten used to associating him with the title. This made her and Mr. Blue laugh.
Dyan regained her composure. “What I meant to say is, thanks for helping me publish my book. I know it costs money to do this, but you still helped me.”
“No problem, Dyan. You’re young but you’ve got a passion, and if you know what you wanna do and you put your mind to it, I’m glad to help you, even if it costs money.”
Dyan moved her chair beside Mr.Blue’s and as they set up her book online, she kept thinking about how nice Mr. Blue had been to her this whole time. She thought back to one day when she had been in the kitchen getting cereal when she overheard the twins in the garage arguing with Mr. Blue.
“Why are you letting Dyan publish her book with real money, but you won’t get us a new video game?” Azure asked.
“Yeah,” Wild Yonder agreed. “You spoil her more than you spoil your own kids!”
She heard a heavy sigh, then Mr. Blue said, “You guys have your birthday to wait for a new game. You guys have new years. Heck, you could even wait for Christmas as your aunts and uncles might get you a new game. Dyan doesn’t get those holidays. She doesn’t have anyone that will help her do something great in her life. But she still has a passion to make a book, and she really wants to do it. This has the possibility of making her money, so that when she’s alone again, she won’t be broke, and she’ll know what she can do to make money. She doesn’t have a mother or father waiting for her somewhere. But she has us for a little while and while she does, I want to help her achieve, and do something positive in her life.
Dyan was used to people saying she had no parents. That wasn’t what made her tear up. What had made her nearly cry that day was that Mr. Blue was trying to help her do something positive with her life while she stayed with them. To make her life better than it was before she met them.
For once in her life, Dyan felt she completely trusted in an adult.
Later that night Dyan rushed into the girls room. “The book is up for sale!”
Compliments were given from the sisters, and Dyan climbed up to her bunk, full of more news.
“There’s going to be an ebook, hardcover and paperback version of ‘Spirit and the Aliens’. And I’ve ordered a few copies of my book so I can sell them to the store nearby like the huge supermarket me and Mrs. Blue went to before the trip.” Dyan explained while slipping into her fuzzy blanket.
“Don’t worry, I handled all your social media pages, so the book has been advertised about its release being soon!” said Royal.
“Great! Thank you for all of your help this week. I don't think I’d be done with all this if it wasn’t for you guys. Plus thanks again for illustrating the cover for me Maya.”
“No prob,” Maya pulled her thick purple covers over her head. “Goodnight!”
“Goodnight!” True yelled and fell into her silk pillow.
“Goodnight sisters,” Royal said. “That includes you, Dyan.”
That made Dyan feel warm and cozy inside as Royal turned the light off and they all shimmied into their sleeping positions.
But one question kept Dyan wide awake and blinking. She decided to ask it.
“Hey, do you think I’ll just live with you guys forever, or are your Mom and Dad still looking for a foster home for me?” Dyan asked the sisters.
True snored, and Royal stayed silent. She was probably still angry about the lie she and Maya told about Miss Moleti.
“I don’t know, but I hope you stay with us forever! You’re my best friend and one of the coolest people I know.” answered Maya.
“I hope so too,” said Dyan and as her eyelids lowered, she let her final thought be: Well, Spirit, I hope your book does well.
Find out what happens next in the next part!
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