Rising Stars: Meet Joni Franks

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Joni Franks.

Hi Joni, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am so excited to announce the release of a new book in The Crooked Forest book series. This book, The Crooked Forest, Beyond, will complete the trilogy. The first two books in the series.

Legacy of the Holey Stone and Cloud Crazed have earned two BEST BOOK Awards for New Age Fiction and Novelette Fiction, as well as additional awards for women’s Fiction and Art Illustration.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wanted to create a companion book series for my Corky Tails: Tales of a Tailless Dog Named Sagebrush books. This required me to step out of my comfort zone and write about deeper issues for an older audience.

Even though my Corky Tails books are generally for early readers, with 3000 to 4000 words per volume, these books also appeal to dog lovers, ranchers, and even firefighters. Looking back, I am so glad that I had the courage to try something different and step up my game.

With the completion of The Crooked Forest trilogy, I now have the time to think about what is next for me, and I am so excited for that opportunity!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I also create the artwork for my books. The concept, design, the completed illustrations, and even the illustration placement within the text are done by me. I love having artwork in my books. They bring the story to life.

One of my proudest accomplishments is earning awards for the artwork in my books.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It’s not easy to be a successful author/illustrator, but it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. The most important essential qualities for success in this field are persistence and desire.

There is nothing else I want to do more than write, and not giving up has proved so beneficial. Success doesn’t usually happen overnight, even though we would like it to. To date, my books have earned over fifty literary honors for both my writing and art. Never give up on your dreams!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonifranks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corkytails1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corkytails1/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joni-franks-721973183/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDTwdTz9mv8
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlii0PDz0Z4