About

The BookThe AuthorThe Illustrator

This book has brought together many people with varied talents and abilities. Everyone connected with the book has realized how special Susie is. Susie has affected each one of us differently but profoundly changed our lives. It is my sincerest hope that Susie will have the same effect on each person who reads this book. Susie is all about change and hope. Susie embarks on her life’s journey and discovers that change is not something to be feared but embraced.

The story of Susie is a story with many different levels of meaning. In its simplest form, it is a story about a snowflake. Yet, it can also be viewed as a metaphor for the journey we all take with the ultimate change being death. This book can be used as a simple bedtime story or as a springboard for discussions on life and death with a young child.

Jan Daniel was inspired to write this book in 1993 while at a conference in Phoenix AZ. She never planned on being an author but fate had other plans for her. After putting off the publication of this book for over 10 years she finally was able to bring Susie to life.

Jan earned her Bachelor’s degree from West Georgia College and a Master’s Degree from Southern Methodist University.

She has a son, Mike, and a granddaughter, Claire, who live in the same city as she does. She feels she has given birth to another child with Susie Snowflake.

Laura Peters was an elementary school teacher when she first started creating her whimsical characters. She would use them to add a little humor and joy to her classroom. She later began to travel across the country displaying her paintings at art shows. She continues to do shows, paints murals in homes and businesses, and shows her work in galleries in the Colorado area.

Laura has a daughter, Sarah. As a child, Sarah always loved to have her mother's paintings decorating her room. She will be off to college soon, but continues to be an inspiration for many new characters.

When Laura read the story about Susie, she felt very drawn to it. She says that it has given her joy to help create the character and to watch her progress through her journey. "Susie holds a special place in my heart because I know how difficult it can be to take that first step off of the cloud and into a new life."