COVID quarantine inspires Danville author to publish six children's books

DANVILLE, Calif. - Danville’s Valerie Pressley is a corporate communication director by trade but a storyteller at heart.

In 2006, Pressley wrote six children’s books, and they sat unpublished for 14 years until her COVID quarantine finally gave her the motivation to finish the job.  

The first three books hit the market over Labor Day.

 “I thought maybe this is the right time to blow the dust off the books and put them out there and see if potentially they might be able to bring joy and help others connect around ways from those special moments in their lives,” said Pressley.  

The books chronicle a child's life from a newborn, and then each year thereafter, highlighting their milestones.  

Beautifully illustrated by a Minnesota artist, they have been a big hit on line and at “Bliss” a Danville gift shop.  

For Pressley, it was all about sharing something positive.  

“You look around especially this past year it’s fun to find things that are happy and make us celebrate a smile at whatever age that may be," she said. 

Originally the books were meant for Pressley’s children, Georgia and Logan, now 18 and 15.  

Their story time has passed, while others are just beginning.  

"It’s killing me not to meet my 10-month-old grand niece, but you gave me a special way to start connecting with her."

That’s an excerpt from one of dozens of letters Pressley has received this fall.  

She admits there is a great sense of pride to see your name at the base of the book, and Pressley isn’t done yet.  

Books on ages 3 through 5 come-out in 2021.  

"What I’ve learned there’s a world of people out there that want to help you succeed," she said, "and sometimes you need the right environment and the right situation to tell yourself you can do it.”