If you share your home with pugs, you already know they possess a mystical, almost sacred ability to locate even the tiniest speck of warm light in a room. They don’t just walk into a sunbeam; they wallow in it, melting onto the floor like furry little puddles of contentment.

That exact daily ritual inspired my first children’s picture book
The Great Sunbeam Hunt.

Written in playful, bouncy verse, the story captures a classic dynamic between my two pugs, Lola and Mabel. Mabel is buzzing with energy and just wants to play, while Lola has her priorities firmly in order: she is ready for her next nap and on a serious mission to find the absolute best sunbeam in the house. It is a sweet, lighthearted read designed to bring a smile to kids and animal lovers alike.

However, releasing this book comes with a conversation I want to have openly and honestly with my readers.

The Reality Behind the Illustrations: Why I Used AI

If you follow the children’s publishing world right now, you know there is a massive, often heated debate surrounding the use of AI-generated art. There is a lot of understandable caution—and sometimes harsh criticism—directed at authors who use AI to illustrate their books.

I completely understand those concerns. But behind every indie book release is a very human reality that doesn’t always make the headlines.

• The Financial Reality: Professional illustrators are wonderfully talented artists whose work commands fair, substantial compensation. Unfortunately, as an independent author funding my own projects, I simply do not have the budget to hire a traditional illustrator or to pay larger publishing houses for their design services.
  
  
• The Creative Roadblock: I have plenty of stories inside my head waiting to be told, but I cannot draw. If I relied solely on traditional illustration methods that I couldn’t afford, The Great Sunbeam Hunt would have remained forever trapped as text on a hard drive.
  
  
• The Drive to Share: Ultimately, my greatest desire was to get these stories out into the world so other families and pug enthusiasts could enjoy them.

Using AI tools didn’t mean pressing a button and walking away; it was an painstaking, iterative, creative process of crafting prompts, refining details, and capturing the distinct personalities of Lola and Mabel—from Lola’s gentle, sleep-loving nature to Mabel’s bright, playful spirit.

It is not just not just a case of saying ‘ I want an image of 2 pugs laying the sun’ – to ensure consistency and authenticity, you have to ‘draw’ the image out with words – down to the very tiny details of the lines on the floor, the placement of a spiders web, the exact matching of Lola’s favourite toy (coming in a book soon)

Every request you make is a literal blank canvas so it is important to create these immaculate prompts to ensure consistency throughout your images.

It became a bridge that allowed me to bring my vision to life on my own terms. And it involved hours and hours and hours of work!

A Fresh Look: Why This is the 2nd Edition

This version of The Great Sunbeam Hunt is actually a brand-new 2nd edition.

My original release was a 6×9-inch format featuring single-page images with the writing placed on a separate white page. While it got the story out there, I knew the book had so much more potential.

This new edition upgrades the experience entirely: it is an 8×10-inch book featuring gorgeous, immersive double-page spread images that bring the pugs’ adventures to life across the whole page. It looks and feels so much better, and to be honest, I am so glad I recreated this story. Seeing how far it has come makes all the extra effort completely worthwhile.

Navigating the Indie Pricing Puzzle with KDP

Publishing through Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) has been a fantastic way to get The Great Sunbeam Hunt out into the world, but it also comes with its own unique set of hurdles—especially when it comes to pricing.

Because of printing costs, color page overhead, and KDP’s royalty structures for children’s picture books, authors are often locked into a higher minimum list price just to break even on production. This pricing restriction can be a real challenge for indie authors. It often prices us out of promotional deals, discount events, or impulse-buy price points that larger publishing houses can easily absorb. Balancing fair compensation for the physical book with keeping it accessible for families can feel like a constant tightrope walk, but it is a hurdle many indie creators willingly navigate to stay in control of our work.

Spreading the Word: How Readers Can Help
(And Where to Find Us)

Getting a self-published book out into the world is only half the battle; the other half is helping readers actually find it. As an independent author, word-of-mouth and reader reviews mean everything. They help boost visibility, build trust, and allow stories like Lola and Mabel’s to reach new homes.

To help manage this, I rely on some fantastic platforms designed to connect indie authors with passionate readers:

• Booksprout: This is an incredible tool for managing Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs). It allows eager reviewers to access early copies of my books in exchange for honest feedback and launch-day reviews, helping ensure everything is polished and ready for the wider world.
  
  
• Goodnightreads: A wonderful community specifically tailored for children’s book authors and readers. It helps connect stories with families and enthusiasts who love discovering new picture books, making it easier to share our work with the right audience.

If you want to review The Great Sunbeam Hunt—or want to follow along with future adventures—you can check out my review pages and connect with Booksprout and Goodnightreads.

What’s Next?

While The Great Sunbeam Hunt is taking center stage right now, I am already hard at work on the next adventure: A Day at the Beach. I am already so pleased with how it is looking in development, though we are still a little while away from a formal release yet.

Bringing It All Together

Writing and self-publishing The Great Sunbeam Hunt has been a true labour of love—from watching Lola and Mabel chase the afternoon light around the house, to finding practical ways to bring their charming personalities to the page, navigating KDP pricing structures, and connecting with wonderful readers through platforms like Booksprout and Goodnightreads. Navigating the indie publishing journey means embracing new tools, breaking through creative walls, and always keeping the heart of the story front and center.

Have you ever faced a creative roadblock where you had to find an unconventional way to bring a project to life? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!