It's hard to believe The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide published four years ago, but it did! (Read to the end for news!)

From idea (August 2014) to publication (August 2020) was six years. Six long years. Of course, a lot of those years was spent deep in the world of Little House. Though I'd read biographies and an unpublished version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Pioneer Girl biography long before the annotated biography was published, I had a lot to learn. That was fun.

Most of my Little House research had to do with the details Laura Ingalls Wilder included in the books. However, I also included 75 activities in The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion. That was fun.

During the writing process, I read each of the nine Little House books a minimum of three times for research. I created charts to help me keep track of what happened in every chapter, vocabulary words to define, potential activities, and more. I had notebooks and a file cabinet full of research notes. It may not sound like it, but that was fun, too.

I also skimmed each book exactly 3,894 times. 

That's a joke. However, I spent hours skimming each Little House book as I checked, rechecked, and checked the stories time and time again throughout my years of researching and writing. Skimming books wasn't quite as much fun though nearly every time I confirmed what I already knew.

Nonfiction long-form books (anything but picture books and memoirs) are submitted to publishers with a sample manuscript and comprehensive proposal. So that's what I did. 

Despite an offer from a publisher, this book almost didn't become a book. I definitely cried some. You can read about the story behind The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion part 1 and part 2. (It's not a short story! Sooo much drama!) That was definitely not fun.

Eventually good news came. You know that was fun.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide was published by Chicago Review Press in August 2020. That was fun!

But do you remember that year? 

Yep. We were neck-deep in the pandemic. Unfortunately, my new book didn't gain much traction. (That might sound awful, and it's not good, but many books contracted to be published that year faced big delays.)

I'm grateful to say that Little House fans of all ages love my book! I hear from readers about it. I see the reviews. Did you know there are over 100 5-star reviews on Amazon for it? That makes my heart happy and hopeful that more readers will find it!

Thanks so much for being part of this story as you read my blog and potentially my book! (Don't forget if a book isn't in your budget, authors LOVE when you request your local library to order a book.) If you haven't had the chance to read the book, these are the FAQs for The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion. (Or just ask me!) 

By the way, this was my first book idea, but my seventh book published. (Don't give up your dreams!) As of this writing, I have 13 books with five publishers. More books are set for publication soon. (You can read more about my writing at my website AnnetteWhipple.com.) 

I also wanted to let you know of a change that's happening. Many of you subscribe to the Wilder Companion blog and receive the latest blog posts directly in your inbox. Unfortunately, my email service provider is going out of business. 

You will still hear from me. 

Instead of the blog post in your inbox, you will receive my author newsletter. (Hopefully you know my name--Annette Whipple--so you don't delete it.) In the newsletter, I will provide you with any recent blog posts links for you to click on and read. You do not need to take any action to continue to receive these emails from me if you already signed up. If you want to sign up, please do so at https://substack.com/@annettewhipple.