Welcome to the second edition of my Author Spotlight series, where the goal is to bring attention to other self-publishing authors and their children’s books. In this edition, I am interviewing Lindsay Kellar-Madsen, author of The Lovely Haze of Baby Days, a motherhood-inspired book that launched digitally on January 13th and will be available in hardcopy board books in early February. This article also happens to be the 3rd stop on Lindsay’s Virtual Book Tour, promoting the launch of The Lovely Haze of Baby Days. For more information on her Virtual Book Tour and the schedule of events, click here.
I originally connected with Lindsay last fall, as we were both gearing up to launch our first Kickstarter campaigns. Lindsay posted a message on social media related to how nervous she was about launch day. Her message really resonated with me, so I contacted her and told her that I knew exactly how she felt. We have been friends ever since, supporting each other’s campaigns and self-publishing journeys. As a self-publisher, Lindsay is incredibly dedicated, organized, and professional. She is someone who I strive to emulate, and I’d like to take this opportunity to share her inspiring story with you.
Lindsay, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, I'm Lindsay - a mother of four (including identical twin girls!) and an aspiring children's book author. Although Canadian, I live with my family in the Danish countryside where we explore, go on adventures, and thrive in our everyday chaos.
Why did you decide to publish a children’s book?
Since becoming a mother, writing has become a necessary creative outlet for me. In early 2020, I was at home with 5-month-old twins, and I was wrestling with a tough postpartum period. My husband and I were navigating life with 4 small kids under 5 years old, and I completely underestimated the physical, emotional, and mental toll it was taking on me. As we stumbled into the Coronavirus pandemic, writing became necessary for surviving the tougher moments during that time. The project eventually evolved into a book that I hope will support maternal mental health and remind women that they aren't alone in motherhood.
Why did you decide to self-publish as opposed to going the traditional publishing route?
The Lovely Haze of Baby Days originated from a really personal part of my life, so I felt strongly from the start that I would need to retain more control over the process and final product. Outside of publishing, I'm a Business Developer in the health tech space. I have spent my career in an entrepreneurial environment, so I was comfortable tackling the multifaceted business elements that accompany self-publishing. So far, I have really loved learning and exploring this new area of business!
What is The Lovely Haze of Baby Days about?
The Lovely Haze of Baby Days is a playful tribute to the chaos of motherhood. This charming rhyming book depicts mothers in everyday moments with their babies and maintains a lighthearted yet candid feel. It introduces little eyes and ears to the rhythm of language while serving as an important reminder to mothers that they aren't alone.
What was the inspiration behind The Lovely Haze of Baby Days?
Raising kids is tough, and that first year with a baby can feel exhausting and overwhelming. For me, that period was the most amazing but most challenging time of my life. Therefore, my personal experiences with the intimate love, chaos, and struggles of early motherhood were part of the inspiration for this book.
I also felt strongly compelled to help other mothers who have suffered through the demands of early motherhood. Some struggle with postpartum depression, and many feel lonely and isolated at some point. The pandemic isn’t helping this reality, and I am incredibly passionate about reaching out to those mothers and reminding them that they are not alone.
What has been the most difficult part about self-publishing a book?
It has been very difficult to balance the SPEED that I want to move this book forward with against the QUALITY that I know is necessary to make it successful on the book market. I am committed to making this a high-quality book, which necessitates taking the time to find a great artist and quality printer. Both of these tasks required a fair amount of research and really forced me to take my time and evaluate my options. I am so happy that I didn't rush that process, but I also had to continually put pressure on myself to make sure that the work got done.
What has been the most rewarding part about self-publishing a book?
The obvious answer is seeing the illustrations bring my words and sentiments to life, but the most surprising reward for me has been the relationships I have built along the way in both the author and motherhood communities. Both communities have really given me strength in challenging moments and made it crystal clear how important the message in this book is.
I have also learned just how resourceful I can be when I am passionate about creating something. Self-publishing has been such a cool experience, and I love learning and growing through the process.
What role did Kickstarter play in your self-publishing journey?
Launching a Kickstarter campaign made a lot of sense to me. I wanted to show the world that I was serious about this book and the impact that I hope to make with it. With Kickstarter, I was able to centralize all the information about the book and give people an opportunity to preorder the book. This was important because it let me showcase the important message of support AND organize the funding to bring the book to life.
Plus, it's a really concentrated marketing effort in a short window of time. As a mom, time is a valuable resource and I was really attracted to the concept of a short, intense sprint to cover a lot of ground and gain support.
Will you self-publish another book?
Ask me this summer! 😊 I have LOVED the self-publishing process, and I absolutely have the interest to pursue other book ideas; however, I have some goals that I want to hit before I invest more in that journey. If this book is well-received though, I would love to continue to write books that speak to mothers and children. Most books that we read are geared only toward kids, but I believe in writing books that serve both audiences.
What’s next? What are you working on now?
I currently have two book ideas related to The Lovely Haze of Baby Days that I'm playing around with. Together, they would make a lovely 3-book set that is focused on supporting families with babies and pre-school children.
Where can people learn more about you? Where can they buy The Lovely Haze of Baby Days?
The best place to learn about The Lovely Haze of Baby Days is at my Kickstarter landing page, https://bit.ly/2RsXMdL. Since the campaign is over, folks can order my book here:
Kindle eBook link:
http://bit.ly/lovelyhazeebook Amazon book link: (currently out of stock, expected in stock January 30th) https://bit.ly/lovelyhaze My website: (In Stock) http://bit.ly/lovelyhazebook
Otherwise, they can find out more at my website. This is the link to the media page https://www.lindsaykmadsen.com/media where I have listed all the podcasts, book reviews, and blog posts about my journey and the book.
Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
If you are passionate about a message or creative work and feel that there is a real need for it to exist, you should absolutely investigate it. Don’t be afraid to try something new! I think this is also such a wonderful model to demonstrate for our children…that we are willing to take leaps in life and challenge ourselves for something we believe in!
I totally agree! Thank you, Lindsay, for taking the time to be a part of my author spotlight blog! It has been a privilege to get to know you, and I can't wait to see where your author journey takes you. To everyone else, I hope that you found this interview enlightening and entertaining. If you haven't done so already, go check out The Lovely Haze of Baby Days and the other stops on Lindsay's Virtual Book Tour!
Further Reading
Additional Author Spotlight articles can be found here: