Her heroical story

Paul Saitowitz

Annie Winston was tired. Tired of struggling with her twin sister to

get a fledgling business off the ground, tired of battling to keep

herself and her three children safe in the midst of a failing

marriage, and just tired in general.

Anyone would be if they spent hours in the middle of the night

penning a book in the ashes of what once was supposed to be a

multimedia cartoon company.

“I spent several years on and off trying to develop this project

with my sister, and we lost all our capital, and that partnership

dissolved,” Winston said. “I had been working so long developing this

concept and the characters that I felt I had to create something out

of it.”

What it became was “Admiral Wright’s Heroical Storicals Presents:

Daniel Boone in the Battle Boonesborough,” a book of historical

fiction based on the exploits of Daniel Boone and aimed at elementary

school children.

“I was really inspired to write, because I was broke and I needed

to support my kids,” Winston said. “I wasn’t sure if it would ever

get published, but I didn’t have that in mind when I was writing. ...

I just wrote.”

When she wasn’t writing, she was working as a substitute teacher

-- she wrote at night after she put her kids to sleep and early in

the morning before work.

“I would have moments where I would think to myself, ‘Is this good

enough to get published?’” she said. “But I persevered.”

An acquaintance who had paid to have a book published by Sonship

Press in Missouri suggested that she give the company a call and send

her manuscript.

“I called them and told them that I had absolutely no money to

give them, but they still wanted to read what I had,” she said.

The company decided to put out the book in May 2002, and since

then, it has sold 10,000 copies. The first store to carry the book

was Balboa Island’s Martha’s Bookstore.

“She came into the store and told us about it, and we’re always

eager to support local authors,” said Kathy Wales, co-owner of

Martha’s Bookstore. “The thing that sets her book apart is her. She’s

always willing to talk to readers and spread the word about what

she’s done.”

Winston has been speaking at schools around the area to promote

the book and reading for children in general.

“It’s really important for kids to start reading at a young age,”

she said. “It helps develop their minds.”

The next step is to develop her Heroical Storicals into a series

of children’s historical fiction. She’s working on the second book,

which features Harriett Tubman. It is slated for release in the

spring. There are outlines finished for 12 more books.

“At this point, the plan is to have it published by Sonship, but

if the first book keeps growing the way it has been, it is possible a

larger publisher will put it out,” she said. “I’m just focused on

putting together the best stories and developing the best characters

that I can.”