Susie Bazil knows exactly when the inspiration for her first book came.
She was sitting with her young daughter, who wasn't feeling well. Bazil felt her forehead and said "I think you have a bug."
The reaction was almost instantaneous. "She instantly started searching for the bug, so I had to explain to her that it wasn't that kind of bug," Bazil recalls.
Still, the experience triggered an idea in Bazil's mind. The next day, she started to sketch out her ideas, writing up the text for a children's book that would explain the difference between an everyday insect and a "sick bug."
Now, less than a year later, "The Sick Bug" is on area store shelves and available online. The first-time author is pleased as punch at the way it turned out.
The picture book, written in verse by Bazil and illustrated by Shawn McCann, follows Tess, a 3-year-old, whose imagination runs wild when her mother tells her she has a "bug."
Once Bazil had the idea hammered out and a draft of the story, she set out to find a publisher.
For most of the major ones, it would take six to nine months for "The Sick Bug" to even be looked at, let alone be accepted and put into the publishing cycle.
Instead, she found an area publisher, Beaver's Pond Press, which liked it and quickly accepted the book for publication. From there, it was a relatively whirlwind trip through the publishing process.
The publisher also helped to hook Bazil up with an artist.
"I initially thought you had to have the artist lined up before going to a publisher, but after talking to some other children's authors, I learned that wasn't the case," she said.
After looking at the work of a number of illustrators, she decided to use McCann, a Minnesota artist with a number of book and other credits to his name. Bazil was impressed with McCann's style, and thinks his art complements the text perfectly.
With the book in hand, Bazil is embarking on the next phase - getting it into the hands of readers. She was already placed in a number of area bookstores and gift shops, has set up a Web site (www.thesickbug.com) and has planned readings and other appearances to get the word out about her new book.
Local bookseller The Bookcase in Wayzata will host a launch party for "The Sick Bug" Saturday, Sept. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The book's timing comes just at the start of the school year, and the major cold and flu season for kids.
"It originally was scheduled to come out this summer, but I think the fall is just perfect for it," Bazil said.
