Terita & Aleesa St. Julian

Video Transcript

Answering the Call to Publish with WestBow Press

Terita St. Julian: “This was not a book that we set out to create. It definitely was led by God.”

Aleesa St. Julian: “At school, kids been walking up to me and saying that they want to write books.”

Terita St. Julian: “We’ve had adults who have come up to us and said, ‘You know, I felt like I couldn’t do it. I’ve got a story in me, but I felt like I couldn’t create it or couldn’t bring it out.’ And they realize if God can use a four-year-old, then he can most certainly use them to fulfill whatever purposes that he has for them.”

Aleesa St. Julian: “If you have just a book in your drawer, don’t leave it in there just get it out to the world.”

Find Joy in Publishing

Terita St. Julian: “If God has called you to do this and you feeling deeply in your heart that He has, and you have a story that He wants you to share, then He’s going to strengthen you to be able to do that. He’s going to strengthen you to be able to handle the criticism and whatever might be coming your way. And He’s also going to help you to find joy in the process while He’s strengthening you as you go through the trials.

I will tell you that going with WestBow Press has been a blessing to us. It has helped us in a lot of ways, and we’re just glad we did it. And now, you know, through the journey, through the trials and all of that, I wouldn’t – I would do it all over again if I had to because it’s just been so good.”

Receiving Aleesa's Book

Terita St. Julian: “When we first held the book, The Day I Met Walt, we were so excited. We had been waiting to get it and, you know, Aleesa also did all of the drawings in the book and everything. We didn’t know because these were her four-year-old drawings. I didn’t change them, didn’t alter them in any way, and when the book came and we opened up the package and we looked at the design, I mean, the way that they did it in the color of pink–we love pink– it was just so beautiful and it just made us feel so good. [To Aleesa] And how did you feel about it?”

Aleesa St. Julian: “I felt really proud of myself.”

Terita St. Julian: “Yes, I’m proud of you, too.”

At four-years-old, Aleesa St. Julian self-published her book, The Day I Met Walt, with WestBow Press.

"My mom was writing her book, and I walked in the room and I asked her if I could write a book, too."

Video Transcript

How Aleesa St. Julian Wrote The Day I Met Walt

Aleesa St. Julian: “I love to spend time with my family. And I love God. And I’ve always put God first in my life. And I love to read a lot. And I was one years old when I learned how to read. The book is called The Day I Met Walt. I lied and my dad took away all my stuffies. When I was in my bed, I cried and I asked God to forgive me. One day, Walt came and he gave me my –a new–stuffie . It was a cow stuffie and I named him Moo-Moo.”

Self-Publishing with WestBow Press

Aleesa St. Julian: “My mom was writing her book, and I walked in the room and I asked her if I could write a book, too.”

Terita St. Julian: “When she approached me, I was very nervous and very concerned about what I had to do. And so I told her, ‘Sure honey, you’ll be able to write a book someday when you grow up.’ I had spoken with someone at WestBow Press Publishing, and Eric was just fabulous. He walked me through the whole process and what to expect. And he said, ‘Sure, let’s go ahead and get started with this.’

And so we got her book published, and actually, her book came out before my book. And then we realized that God had not just called me to write a book, but he had definitely called her as well.”

Finding the Courage to Share Her Book

Aleesa St. Julian: “I didn’t know that I was going to read to people and I was really excited about it. But I am a little bit scared about reading to schools, but I’m getting a lot better at it.”

Terita St. Julian: “A lot of adults and children are enjoying this book, and it’s touching heartstrings, and we just believe it’s also changing lives.”

Aleesa St. Julian: “Where do the cows go on the first date?”

Terita St. Julian: “Where?”

Aleesa St. Julian: “To the moooooovies.”

Authors Terita and Aleesa St. Julian share how they connected with the helpful WestBow Press team members.

"You feel like you’re actually part of a family."

Video Transcript

Terita and Aleesa St. Julian Publish with WestBow Press

Terita St. Julian: “Not everyone’s called to be an author, but I believe that a lot of people out there have their story that God wants to be told. And it can actually change lives.

We are so blessed that our journey began with the publishing process with WestBow Press Publishing.

They have been fabulous. From the first time we called, a guy answered the phone named Eric, and I mean he really just kind of took me under his wing, because I did not know very much about publishing at all. And our conversation was just so great. He spent probably about two to three hours talking to me and answering my questions – even questions that didn’t pertain to WestBow, he answered for me.

He even typed up our conversation and emailed it back to me, so that I would have it to remember some of the highlights of things that he had told me on that call. When I decided to finally publish the book, I knew that it had to be with WestBow Press Publishing.”

Supporting Authors Through the Publishing Process

Terita St. Julian: “We’ve had so many people contact us from different departments just saying we’d like to talk to you about this, or we think this might be a great idea for your book, or what about this marketing idea, and Eric still maintained some type of contact with me just to make sure that I was on the right track.

And she [Aleesa St. Julian] signed the book and actually sent it to him, and he said that he has it hanging up in his office now and that’s special, you know, that’s really special to us.

You feel like you’re actually part of a family. I often say that we’re now part of the WestBow Press Publishing family. [To Aleesa] Don’t I say that?”