Full Transcript for Chapter Books, Tallow Jars, and the Thick of Motherhood | Madisen Fraser

some tallow? And it totally took off. And I love using tallow myself. And the healing benefits of it and everything that it has, that being able to put it in the hands of other moms and other friends and family members, and to be like, this can work for you and this can help you in your life. And so I feel like it kind of took off when I didn't expect it to. And then last summer I did the farmer's market in Bemidji and it was just like it's such a community being able to build a business and grow. and who you know and who you engage with and it's so much more than just selling tallow. It's ⁓ the connections you make and what you build. speaker-1: So just taking a step back even for everybody, like what is tallow? speaker-0: Okay, so tallow is rendered beef fat. and so you take it off the cow and it you kind of like boil it down ⁓ slowly and then you get it cold and then you're just you're purifying it. ⁓ so you're taking off the impurities and you render it down to a certain point to where it loses that beef smell. That's when you know you have good tallows when it doesn't smell like you're putting raw hamburger on your face. and then I so then once it's rendered down enough, I'll melt melt it down with carrier oil and essential oils and then whip it and it gets this really nice light texture and it's really great for healing, like for scarring, for eczema, for acne, for you can use it as like diaper ash cream. There's so many healing properties. speaker-1: And and tallow's actually been used forever, really. ⁓ I th I think that's really one of the main ingredients in like soaps. Right. ⁓ soaps. It's a lot of lotions. And then you can eat it too. Right. That's that people will use once upon a time. ⁓ that's what they used to use for like French fries and stuff. Trying. So there's a lot of purposes for it. But you're mostly on like the s using it as like a skincare. Okay. Yeah. What have you done so far? speaker-0: Mm-hmm. They're really good. speaker-1: ⁓ for your the stories that you've written or books or what have you published? speaker-0: ⁓ so published I have two chapter books that I did in my teen years. The first one's Into the Mountains I Look and the second is Into the Treasures of the Snow. And they're kind of similar to Little House on the Prairie, like the good old days. ⁓ those are my two chapter books, and then for my kids' books I have ⁓ Ellie's World, Marley's World, Franklin's World, and Oliver's World. Oliver's World is my newest one. ⁓ and so it's been it's really fun to be able to like make this world and these characters and like tune into like my childhood and be like, okay, how can we do this? Like think like a child. ⁓ but yeah, so those are the books that I have right now and I'm working on another chapter. speaker-1: Are those are those kid books, are they in the same universe? They're kinda have a similar theme and sound, it sounds like. Yep. Yeah. So can you tell us a little bit about those stories? speaker-0: Yeah, so

each book has a lesson. So Ellie's world, ⁓ she's very creative and just very imaginative. And her friend is like, whoa, Ellie, you're crazy. And it's like she accepts that God made her different and God made her unique and that he makes each of us different and special. And just because someone's different, that doesn't mean that they're not good enough. It's like God makes us each different and he loves us. and Marley's world, Marley's the moose. He's the greatest moose g moose in Alaska and he's the most terrified moose. And it just talks about fear and how like no matter how big you are, how you know, like how great you are, there's there's still those things that can creep in and how God loves us and how he's with us at all times and just touching on like how we don't have to be afraid. And then with Franklin's World, it's about it's a kind of like a Thanksgiving book. ⁓ I really sit around Thanksgiving and just about being grateful at all times and in all circumstances. And I feel like it's a lesson to myself. Like these books always seem to be coming out at a time where I'm like, man, I really need to work on my thankfulness. Like, ⁓ but yeah, so that book is just on like being grateful. ⁓ and then Oliver's World, it's about telling the truth and you know, g being in the season of having now like a toddler and trying to teach them like, Hey, there's right and wrong and let's tell the truth. that was something I was like, let's put this in a book, like and base it off like the Ten Commandments and that it's a great thing to tell the truth and to be honest and not to lie and steal and speaker-1: And then you get to r I'm assuming you get to read them a lot as well. So you gotta make them interesting enough for you to read through them. Yeah. Over and over and over again. How how did you go from okay, I like to write stories to like, okay, I'm gonna actually make books that I can put out and share with the world? speaker-0: Yeah, it's funny. I was just talking with this a friend on the way over and she I had met this girl at a homeschool conference and she had written books and I was just I was, you know, like twelve or thirteen and I was like, You are so cool. And I remember she took the time to be like, Hey, you can do this. And we spent hours going through my f this first book. It never got published, which is a good thing. But it just was such a learning curve and she was like, Hey, let me teach you and help you to grow. And like then my mom came alongside and supported my desire for writing. ⁓ and like, hey, let's help you grow in this. And so I feel like the influences that I had really pushed me to be like, you can do this. And so I went through ⁓ Amazon self publishing, ⁓ and went and published my once I wrote my first published book. And I just had a lot of support and ⁓ I feel like back then, even though it was only like 10 years ago, there wasn't as many it wasn't as easy to learn things. It wasn't like you just go into chat GPT and you're like, ⁓ hey, how do I do this? Like times are different now. And so just like learning that learning curve. How do I do this? How do I set up a tax ID? How do I do all these things at 13? You know, is like kind of a big deal, but I had a lot of support and I couldn't have done it without those people. speaker-1: And and that's one of the the positive things that, you know, the one of the opportunities with home schooling, something that we're getting into with our kids and how you can, you know, you have that flexibility to really, okay, this is gonna be the lesson. How do you set up a an a business essentially at at a young age and and adding that in as almost your curriculum while allowing you to kind of work in an area that you're really interested in and try to take that somewhere. ⁓ so so you're doing that, how did it How did your f first book go? 'Cause that can be really tough. It's a lot to share. ⁓ I I think especially with the arts, can really be like a vul vulnerable place to like hey, you know, whether it's painting or pottery or stories, like put it out there and then and then like wait for people to give you feedback. But how did how did that whole experience go for you? speaker-0: That was rough because it was I had poured my everything into it and I was so excited about it and I was like, this is my baby. This is my masterpiece. Like Yes. And I was encouraged to have beta readers. ⁓ and beta readers are like they get chunks of your book at a time and they go through and say, Hey, I find maybe a story speaker-1: It doesn't get better than this. speaker-0: Like you're inconsistent in your story here. You say it in the beginning she's got, you know, she's a brunette and now you're saying she has blonde hair. Like 'cause I think it's easy to do that as an author just to kind of get lost in your story and mess details up. And so they would catch those details and be like, Hey, this doesn't sound right or whatever. ⁓ and it wasn't as much like grammar editing, like I had a different editor for that. But sending that out, I I think I had like six or eight beta readers. And it was so hard taking that criticism because it was like, I thought this was the best thing ever. And when someone was like, that didn't make any sense, I'd be like, but it does. And it's me. No, it doesn't. And so I feel like that going through that process really shaped me as a writer. And instead of taking it and being like, I just can't do this, I'm not good enough, I took it and was like, let's go from here. Let's grow. How can we get better? How can I be like take these steps from what these people said and become a better author because of it? And going through that with my first and second book of like having so much criticism, being like, Judge my book and then having people do it, it was like, ⁓ this hurts so bad. But it's made me so much better of an author now because I took that criticism and it's like that I'm so glad that I did that.

speaker-1: Well and and 'cause too, y y you can sometimes recover from it and like, okay, I can make these changes quick and adjust from it. Otherwise or or whether it's in that exact story or it's like, hey, this is already done, but then I can r roll that into the next next thing I'm working on. Right. But it it can be tough because you can't, like you said, take that and like, I'm not gonna do this anymore. I tried, people didn't love it. They're not making a movie out of it, like it didn't work out. And so being able to take that criticism and then incorporate it into everything in the future is really what defines success in a lot of ways because that happens pretty much every ⁓ every sphere somebody really can operate in. But yeah, I think the arts can be a a tougher a tougher ⁓ area for that. Because it seems like it's more directly to like, ⁓ this is I put a lot of heart into it and thought and all that. But like it's a little more emotion into some of those things. speaker-0: Right. I think it's so important to be open to wisdom from other people and that criticism and yeah, just take it in stride and be like, I'm just I can grow from here because that really changes who you are as an author, but also who you are as a person. Like we can always grow and be better. And how can we grow and be better? speaker-1: It's it's a mindset really to have that you can, you know, over time improve. But it you think about even great authors today, they still have editors and people who are going through combing through what they're writing. Right. And like, ⁓ this isn't quite right or this doesn't make sense or you need to change this. Right. Okay. So why did you end up shifting from ⁓ the the chapter books to the children's books? 'Cause that's a that's a whole different skill. Not necessarily a skill level, but a different approach to that. what was your main reasoning there? speaker-0: I feel like time was a big part of it. And also just having my own kids and being in that different circle of I wasn't really reading chapter books anymore. If I was, it was like a parenting book. Right. ⁓ and so I think, yeah, being like, hey, I am reading kids' books. I'm reading a lot of kids' books, like and being able to create that. And I love being creative. I love like graphic design, that kind of stuff. And so but I cannot draw to save my life. And I was like, how am I supposed to do a kids' book if I am an awful artist. Like this is gonna be terrible. And so I was like, hey, what if I just started so I started playing around on Canva and I was like, I wonder if I could like make pages out of this and make, you know, and and there's a lot of options on Canva to really build a picture. And so that's I started kind of messing with that. And then I was like, once I start like once I get started on something, I am like a hundred miles per hour, like, let's get this done. And it was very quick. And I was like, that was so much fun. I like, let's do it again. speaker-1: ⁓ So y so you you kinda opened up that sort of the side of the art or of that process too. speaker-0: Right, because it was so much more I feel like kids books are more of the pictures with a story, and whereas a chapter book is the story and your imagination. And so I think that's fun to be able to like put the picture with the story of what I'm imagining when I'm writing it. And yeah, it's it's a it's very much a change because your story matters in a kid's book, but like when you're doing a three hundred word book versus a thousands and thousands, you know, of words chapter book, like There's a big difference there in the thought you have to put into it. Like you have to make things so simple for kids' books that it's it's a lot easier and it it takes a lot less brain power. speaker-1: And and so we'll we'll we'll table the the books for a minute, but getting into the the tallow side of the business, ⁓ you said or of of of your tallow business, ⁓ you said you've been doing that for is it a little over a year? Okay. ⁓ you know, that's a different approach too, because ⁓ that is like you're putting all the time into it. It doesn't scale the same as like a book. You can write a one book and then you can sell speaker-0: Yeah, like a year and a half. speaker-1: you know, however many copies. But when you're like doing this other product that you're putting out there, it's like, hey, you've got to make each one, sell each one and all that. How did you find that ⁓ to work into what you were doing already and being you know, doing your author authoring, writing, and then trying to do that business and start that up. speaker-0: A lot of late nights. Okay. Yeah, there would be nights that it would be like midnight and I'd be like, both the girls are asleep and I would go out and be like working on tallow 'cause it's a process. You know, it has to cool and it has to you know, you're going through a lot of it's not like sit down and do it all at one time. And so I would really like time my day around like, Okay, I need to make fifteen jars of tallow and ten tubes of chapstick, you know, like something like that. And I would be like, Okay So if I start it in the morning like mom math, I would be like, okay, if I get, you know, start it and then go give so-and-so a bath and then, you know, like you're just going through the motions of and just planning ahead. And it definitely made me a lot more disciplined because it was like, I have orders. I have people waiting for this. ⁓ and taking the time to be like, Okay, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna fit it in? And it was something that I love and was really pa and I still am very passionate about it and and sharing that with other people and getting it in their hands to help them. And so I feel like because it's a passion and it's a desire, it makes me want to do it and make the time for it because it's important to me. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. ⁓ And and that's where it probably is different from the

the the books too, because you got to fill this order because somebody needs us. I said I was going to deliver this to ⁓ what what amount of your work or of your your product goes to like direct orders versus you said you've done some ⁓ you know, farmers markets and and things like that. What how does your business break out between those two? speaker-0: I feel like making it is a part of my week and it just kind of flows in and fills in. So it definitely takes time, but it's like hard to say like a you know how much time I would say doing farmers market or craft shows or different things like that, that takes more time and that's more of the time consumer where it doesn't, you know, like you'll be somewhere for eight hours sitting there, like talking with people, or if it's slow you're just sitting there. speaker-1: How much of your business are are are those one off orders versus sitting at a a booth trying to sell to new people or, you know, repeat customers potentially versus getting new clientele? speaker-0: Mm-hmm. I feel like the making the tallow, all of that, it doesn't take a lot of time. It's just planning, planning out your day, ⁓ how it's gonna fit in. And then in terms of like sitting at a craft show, that's where that's where the hours are spent sitting, talking to people, connecting. You know, it's really so fun to like at the farmer's market, you know, have someone come and buy a jar and then come back, you know, a month later and be like, I have to buy some for my mom. have to buy some for my friend and it's like you loved it that much that you came back. You could get tallow anywhere. You know, like it's it's popular enough. ⁓ and so I think that's really neat to make those connections. So it's like there may be long days of sitting at the farmer's market or sitting at a craft show, but it's totally worth it when you see those people come back and be like, I loved this. I want more. speaker-1: Do you do you have a lot of people that are now ordering directly from you versus like having to go to these shows and and things like that? speaker-0: ⁓ yeah. I will get like random messages on Facebook. Hey, I met you at the farmers market. And it's funny because a lot of people that meet me and I have a conversation with them, I remember them. And so it's so fun to like connect with them outside of that and kind of grow those friendships of people that I wouldn't have met outside of this. And it's really sweet to just reconnect with those people when it's off season for the market. speaker-1: Do you have any interplay between your two ventures with the the kids' books and the the tallow? Do you bring books to sell at the farmers market and speaker-0: Yeah, I do. And that I feel like it's such an interesting table because people are like, What are you doing here? And it's like, These are my hobbies. This is what I love doing. ⁓ and I think it brings in more people because there's kids that walk up and they're like, ⁓ a book. I want to look at this. And then the parent starts browsing, like, ⁓ what's this? I've never heard of Tallow or vice versa. And a lot of times it cracks me up because my name is on all the books. And people will be l look at it and be like, Did you write these? And I was like, Yes, I did. Like, that's why they're here. And so it's really fun to just like make that connection. And then there's some people who start to share their story of how they really want to be an author or they wrote a book and it just opens such a door of conversation, either with tallow. I love the older generation when they come up and they're like, We used to use this on our face years ago. That's all we had for moisturizer. And I like, Yes. Yes, that is awesome. speaker-1: Uh-huh. And it's yeah, natural now now people are coming back to that after, you know, a long time. Right. With the books too. You mentioned like meeting people who wanna write. ⁓ have you had the opportunity to share some of that knowledge and experience to help them get get stuff published or put out there? speaker-0: Yeah, actually that has been something within the last probably five years, there was a girl that approached me and she was like, I really want to write a book. And I was like, Okay, let's sit down. Let me show you what I know. Because I had that person take the time to pour into me when I was young and wanted to be an author, and that changed my life. And I and I'm like, I want to be able to open that door for other people. It's not about like, you know, pay me to do this or whatever. It's like, no, I want to be able to support you and help you chase your dreams. And so I did that a couple years ago and then just recently there's another girl that came up. She's like, I really want to publish this book. And I was like, let's meet. When can you meet? Like, I love this. I want to help you with this. And it just is super encouraging to see that people want to learn and want to grow. Like not everyone has that. speaker-1: And then having somebody who can kind of keep you accountable and like, hey, this is my goal. Right. And then 'cause it's easy to have those goals and then not do anything about it. Mm-hmm. Like, I want to write a book. And it's something you can throw out in a conversation, but then ⁓ you know, somebody's saying, Okay, like, let's do it. Like I can help you. Like I can show you the steps to take. Right. But then yeah, people have to take those steps. And ⁓ and so you can rem remove a lot of those barriers that would prevent somebody from getting it done because like well where do I start? Where do I end? Right. What's the actual goal? And then ⁓ you know, being able to assist in that could be be huge, having somebody to talk ⁓ through those things. speaker-0: And I think I'm being on the other side then of criticizing somebody else's work. Yeah. ⁓ that is the worst. Because it's like, I know what you're feeling right now, but like take it in stride. You know, like I am no pro, but

like I've learned a lot. And let me share that with you. And but it is very hard because I'm like, if it's your first book, I know how much this hurts me telling you that this needs to be changed or whatever. But it's still, yeah, having people understand that this can make you better. This can help. Grow you as an author. speaker-1: And in a lot of ways it's it's kinda nice to have somebody who can do that ⁓ even in a nice way. Mm-hmm. Even if it's a little harsher, even like that's really not good. Like you'd rather have somebody tell you that so you know versus like, Hey, I did I ⁓ I even printed it off, like and I put it out there and you're like, Ooh, you can have people who do that and it's not it's very disingenuous, like, ⁓ yeah, no, it's great, like I don't wanna hurt your feelings. I don't I didn't really dig into it that much. I just wanna like you know, satiate you and keep you like moving, but like taking the time and actually digging in and be like, okay, this is what we can do to change it, what we can do to make it better. Right. You want to make the best thing. Where do you see these things going in the next couple of years? What do you want to you know do as you're you're growing this or maintaining? ⁓ it can be an interesting place with with like the small ⁓ hobby speaker-0: Right, for sure. speaker-1: almost size to like do you take it to the next level? You know, you're busy at home with with kids. What do you see happening in the future? speaker-0: Yeah, that's a great question. I sometimes wonder that too. ⁓ I feel like with the tallow, I think it's always gonna be something that's part of my life, whether it's doing the farmers markets and the craft shows or whether it's just doing it for friends and family. ⁓ right now it's it's just something that I have time for and it's really since farmers markets are on Saturdays, like my husband's home, he gets time with the girls. speaker-1: You get out of the house for a while. speaker-0: out the house. I get to go interact with adults. Yeah. It's great. and so it's something I really enjoy and just taking that time. And so yeah, I don't I see that going for a while. I don't have any plans to stop. speaker-1: One question I I have with that too is like how big is a batch that you make? Is it like how many pounds do you start with of this fat to render it? What's that process even look like? speaker-0: It depends on my order size. Okay. And because sometimes it's like if I need a small order, I'm not gonna take all this time. Like I have so we'll I'll have it rendered down and in jars, ⁓ in like court jars. And so a lot of times it's easy to just be like, ⁓ I have an order of ten jars. I can go and I'm getting really good at the like I need ten jars, I need this many scoops of tallow. Like and you 'cause you know, once you mix it with the carrier oil and all that. ⁓ but yeah, so it I definitely think it's By size or by batch. yeah, it's not a it's not the same every time. If I have

a big batch, it's like, you know, it's a bigger deal. I've done we had I was asked to do an order for our church's Christmas tea a couple of years ago and it was like a hundred and twenty jars and I was like, ⁓ my good jars A jar is like a two ounce so it's just like a small like yeah, it's not too big. But speaker-1: What is it? ⁓ speaker-0: That's a lot of jar 'cause you're like piping it all in and yeah. It was just I was like, This is a lot. And so I did it in batches. I do like, Okay, I'll do forty this day, I'll do twenty this day, like when I had time. ⁓ and I got it all done and I was like, That was awesome. Like there was so many jars of tallow. Like yeah, I'm pretty sure I dreamed about tallow after that. speaker-1: Yeah, it keeps you busy, hopping on and all that. Yeah. Do you keep a certain as ⁓ amount of inventory kind of all the time or is it more as needed? speaker-0: It depends on the season. Like in the farmers market season, I am like trying to stay very on top of it and making sure I have enough to where I can be like, ⁓ I need more, we sold out and being able to make more. But in the winter it's not as consistent. so I speaker-1: Holidays are big, I'm sure, you know. So speaker-0: Yes. And then like January, February a little slower, but then once we get more into the spring and people coming back to life, they're looking for shallow. speaker-1: What are you working on right now in in writing books? What's that look like for you in this season? speaker-0: Yeah, I started getting back into chapter books. ⁓ you know, doing so many kids' books, I was like, This is super fun. And then I just I think I had writer's block for a while in terms of chapter books, just because kids' books are very simple and straightforward. But to think like in depth and it might have been because my brain was like in the thick of n having children and you know all all that that consists of. And so getting back into writing a chapter book and ⁓ it's called the Little Lighthouse Keeper. And just being able to, as an adult, pour into what I've learned through my teenage years and you know, into my adult years now, what I've learned and grown through and adding that into this story, I think that it has become kind of a way to like express my feelings or how I've felt throughout my life. And so I think it's a really a really sweet outlet for myself. Just to be able to pour into and to build these characters. And I think that it's I'm really excited for this book. This is one that I'm like, I think it's gonna be my favorite one that I've done yet. Just because there's so much potential with it and so much that I can add and so many places that I can go. And it's like when I start reading, I'm like, ⁓ I should st and this chapter, but I'm like, I still have so much more for this chapter And I'm like, This is gonna be a long book. Like So it's it's really exciting to be back into chapter book writing and having that creativity flow. speaker-1: Yep. And it and

it's definitely a longer commitment than you know, a story for kids is pretty basic flow. And even if you're say not super passionate about the story, like you're not married to that for very long because it's only fifteen pages, twenty pages, you know. It's not like hundreds of pages that you're trying to write out and which inherently takes way more time and and thought. So that's a a lot different exercise. ⁓ how far into the the book are you? speaker-0: ⁓ I would say I'm about a third of the way into the book. And I'm not trying to rush it and just let it happen as it comes. ⁓ 'cause I think it's really easy to rush it. Especially being in doing kids' books where it's like it's so simple and just like to the point. And now I'm like, No, like details and storyline and plot twists and you know, adding all these things and so I'm I'm hoping to see it published by the end of this year. That's my goal. speaker-1: Cool. One one thing that I'm just not really familiar with, but in that kid book or even self published books in general, what what is like even a a level of like sales to reach that's like, okay, this is notable. I don't have any r reference towards that at all. How how do you how do you view that personally? And then, you know, how are you getting those out there? Can you tell us a little bit about that? speaker-0: Yeah. I am I've heard this before, but if you want to be an author, you're not in it for the money. Like it is not something unless you're a huge author. ⁓ a lot of it is by word of mouth or farmers markets or there's I love this and it makes me smile when I think of these girls at our church. I see my chapter books from hand to hand, all these girls at our church. That are like ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. And it just makes me laugh because they're like the one of them comes like, These are the best books I've ever read. And I was like, ⁓ honey, that is the sweetest thing. Like it just made me smile so big. And I feel like I don't know, that makes it totally worth it to do those things. speaker-1: most people don't realize about authors and just actually most things that you do, it's you have to ha put out a ton before things like really land and take off too. Yeah. And and really having kind of saturated or enough that people can like go back to. So you can even have a a really great first book, even a chapter book. But I feel like your first book, like ⁓ they go look up again and like, ⁓ there's only one or two others. Mm-hmm. You know, they don't get hooked on maybe those styles. We're Established authors, you know, like James Patterson or something, you can go read a book and then there's like a million other ones. Right. You can like keep going. So even getting to a level of ⁓ just content out there takes time too. Right. speaker-0: And I think that in terms of like selling books and creating the name for yourself, it does take time and experience and you know it definitely to build that, you know, my following right

now is these young girls. And I'm like, this is great. This is this is what I'm doing it for. Like and I yeah, it definitely is not I'm not there for the money of it because there's not much money in it. But it's still great and I love it. And it's a way to be creative and as a mom to take that time because it's something I love to pour into. And I think it's important as a parent to have those things that you love and the things that you can pour back into yourself. speaker-1: Your girls liked all your books. Or like that they can ⁓ they can hit you the the hardest sometimes. Like I don't like that. We haven't even read it yet. Or like meals time. Like I don't like this. Like you haven't tried it. speaker-0: Yes. Right, right. ⁓ yes, I know that conversation. It is so fun because the first three that I did, they weren't really old enough to like understand like this is mom's book. It like, ⁓ here's a new book, cool. Like but the last one that I did, Oliver's World, it was really fun 'cause I was working on designing it and I had a goal to publish that book in or to finish the book in five days. And so I like had this story written and I was like, I really hit the ground running and my oldest daughter, Brielle, she's three, she wanted to help me. I was like speaker-1: We'll see how we can do that. speaker-0: And so there's this one page that I think of as Brielle's page because she was like, We need to add flowers. And I was like, Okay, where are we putting flowers? We're like putting flowers in the bushes. And I'm like, you know what? It's a kid's book. And so it's really special to me. And now when she opens that, she'll be like, I made this. And it's like it's a part of her being able to help me. And I love it because it it it means so much more to me. This she was excited about. And so when she got it, she like opens it, she's like, My book is here. And I was like, Yep, it is. And good job. Yep. We had a neighbor over that we just met, and the neighbor's reading books to the girls, and really sweet. And Brielle brings the neighbor my book. And I was like, This is so embarrassing. Like, whenever people read my books out loud, I'm like, please stop. Like, you know, when you hear your own voice on a recording and you're like, That's what I sound like. At least I feel that way. Yeah. speaker-1: ⁓ it's the podcast like every week. speaker-0: And so it's like, okay, when you hear someone else reading your story and the neighbor was like, This is you like, you're incredible. And I'm like, No, I'm really not. It's just a kid's book. And like, but the girls bring it to other people and they're like, Can we read this? And I I love that they love it. That means a lot to me. Mm-hmm. speaker-1: Well and and and it's a great way to get them excited about reading. Mm-hmm. You know. 'Cause th that's great for kids and I think things have changed over the years with lots of screen time and and and just people reading less and less. ⁓ And so you can get ⁓ excited or take to that next level. And it might even be something that they want to tackle in the future as well. speaker-0: Right. Yeah, that would be really fun. Yeah. A couple of years ago my sister in law and I she's she's a great artist and just as a hobby. And I was like, Hey, what if we did a Christmas story about our family? And so like she drew all the pi these pictures and I wrote this story and it was for my in laws and they've you know, all their kids are grown and they have grandk grandkids and including everyone and it's like that book I've never we've never sold. It's not a book for sale. It was for the family and even being able to have opportunities like that to give that gift of your time and your effort and to and to now have that story to look back on. And like the grandkids love reading it and looking at it be like, ⁓ there's us. Like it's just fun to pour into it for more than anyone else but yourselves. speaker-1: Yeah. Look at again, talking about some of the the criticism, ⁓ especially when you're younger, were are there any things that really stood out or still stand out like that that they gave feedback on that like, ⁓ okay, that was a big miss or like, ⁓ that hurt, but like I can make a change now or anything like that that stands out to you? speaker-0: There's so many things. I feel like my you know, when you're young, you're learning and you're growing and I wasn't the best at describing things. And I look back at my chapter books now and I'm like, wow, they could I you know, you could add so much. You always couldn't. It was so big. Right. And now it's like there could be so much more. Like and so being able to look back at that and having people be like, You could describe a little more here. Tell us more. Give more of the story. Don't just give a conversation. And I think that criticism would be like, but I put everything I could in there. Like, there's nothing more to tell about this person. You know everything about him. And it's like, well, no, I really didn't. But ⁓ so I think now taking that into my writing and that criticism and being like, show more. Give give the readers a better picture. Take that time to explain things to them and not rush it. And so I think that's definitely a huge one. And you know, my I love my mom. She's wonderful. But when I was writing my first book. She was also my teacher. And so like her reading my book, she'd be ⁓ this is wrong. And I'd be like, I cannot handle this. I was like, because I I cared so much about her opinion. And I was like, I she's she's great at it. I'm really glad she's been she's helped me through it. But it was just like it was so hard to take criticism from my mom because I cared so much. And but now like I still send her my stuff and I'm like, hey, can you read this? Because I know that she's gonna be honest and being able to be open To the honest person that it's hard to take it from because that's really gonna grow you and teach you. And they're not

gonna sugarcoat it because there would be people that would be like, This is the best thing ever. And I'd be like, You're an adult. Yeah, that's not true. Right. I'm like, I know I like this, but like, no. It needs work. It needs help. And so I really appreciate like when people have just been honest and that has come with me because now speaker-1: I know that's not right. speaker-0: I like called my mom the other day, I like, Can I read this chapter to you that I wrote? And she was like, Okay. So she's sitting on the phone like ten minutes as I'm reading to her and it's like I just appreciate that because I know I can go to her for that criticism and like help me walk through this. Does this make sense? Like and just being open to it. That has been one of the hardest parts about being a author is the criticism. speaker-1: Yeah, it's it is tough to take it to that next level as a critic too. Like, okay, I don't want to hurt their feelings, but I also didn't have any idea what was just happening or didn't type 'cause I I I know I can write out a something, an email event, and like I think it says everything. And somebody like replies like, What are you talking about? And and that can be something as simple as an email, like a business email, and you're like, ⁓ right, because I can fill in the gaps. when I read it 'cause I know what I was intending or what I what I was trying to convey. And so having somebody else be like, Yeah, you there were big holes, you know, that that's helpful. You know, helpful to have somebody do that and help you build. speaker-0: Mm-hmm. You wanna know that. And in life too. I think that's such a big thing is being open to criticism and being able to grow through it and take it in stride. And that it's taught me a lot about r in writing, that's taught me a lot about life and just you know, being open to things and and c conversations and that criticism to become a better person, to become a better author. And I think that it definitely like I realized in that moment that I hated being criticized when I you know, in that season and I was like, ⁓ this is more than just writing. Like and to work through that and grow through it and and now I have people tell me so many things about my writing and I'm like, that's nice. It really gets you ready for the people who actually don't like your book and they'll be like, Yeah, I don't really care for that very much and you're like, Wow, I didn't ask you, but thanks anyways, like it's fine. I know, I don't care. Like speaker-1: Yeah, and y you have to be able to discern the people who are like, ⁓ they they just don't read books like this anyways. They would never have liked this. Right. And like, ⁓ they have a really valid point. Like Mike, ⁓ another author we had on, ⁓ she's talking about how her main character was just not likable. Mm-hmm. And or at least that's what you know, some of the first critics were telling her, like, ⁓ the main character, that's like she's not very likable. Like this is a hard character to want to follow through the story. And and she even said, like, ⁓ I based her off of myself. ⁓ okay. And and then you have to kind of go back and like, okay, where's where can I take some of these edges off of this person? 'Cause it can be only in a few places where it can change the trajectory or the way that a character or a location or even the overall story is perceived. It can just be these few points that really change where things go. Mm-hmm. And so being ⁓ speaker-0: ⁓ huh. speaker-1: ha ha having people tell you that can be yeah, save a lot of time down the road, but carrying the story on even further. speaker-0: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I totally feel that in this book that I'm working on now. It's like I see a lot of myself in this character and I also am like maybe I shouldn't tell people that like because then they're gonna be speaker-1: This character isn't likable at all. You're like ⁓ oops. speaker-0: Okay, well I'm just gonna walk away now. Yeah, no, I think it's really it is very funny. But it's you're you're adding points of your life and things that you've grown through and learned through and it's like it's not exactly you, but it's you the things that speaker-1: Might be you in that circumstance. speaker-0: Right. Yeah. Or you at that age or, you know, I think looking back, you know, being a young teenage girl, the th the things that I wish I would have known or just whatever. And it's like, okay, this girl, she's a young teenage girl, like, where was I at at that age? How can I make that character realistic? What was I feeling? What was I going through? And how can she be relatable? And because yeah, I think that there's so many people that read books And it's like, ⁓ the you know, their character is so perfect. And it's like, you know what? We're human, we're not perfect. We all go through struggles and that's normal. And I think with my kids books and my chapter books, now my writing is like the reality of the hard things in this world are so big. And no matter your age, you might be going through something. Even if you're thirteen, eleven, you know, like even if you're young, you're you still can be going through those things and you're not alone. And so I feel like being able to write and pour into that, like you other people go through this. Like we can make it through it, you know. Work work on it together. Like you don't have to feel alone. speaker-1: So you've done a lot of research, I'm I'm assuming, into, you know, the different styles of books you're writing. What makes a good children's book? speaker-0: I think it makes a good children's book to me personally is having a good lesson to it. Something it's creative, it's enjoyable, but also that there's a reason behind it. Because kids are like sponges. Kids soak up everything. And that's, you know, what we give our kids to learn from. they're gonna soak it up and they're gonna remember it and they're gonna reference it, you know, and

and just these different things. And so I think what makes a good kids book are those three things of the created the creativity of it, the lesson speaker-1: And stuff that they can, you know, apply or take take away from that. Mm-hmm. It probably like the fourth thing is actually having it like something that a an adult can tolerate. Like we read stories in like some that my kids love. Mm-hmm. Like it's like I don't wanna read this one. speaker-0: ⁓ a hundred percent. Yeah. ⁓ yes, I a hundred percent get that. Yeah. And that it is it is fun to be able to make it enjoyable for adults too and make it you know, my biggest pet peeve as an author is the word said. Like and I think because I overused it when I started writing, and people be like, Why is it you know and I and ⁓ and it became like a pet peeve of mine because I had to fix it for myself and now that's like every kid's book. Now when you read the next kid's book and it's that's all it says, you're gonna be like speaker-1: This they said this they're speaker-0: This is a lot. And so I'm like I really try not to use that and give more descriptive words because I'm like, I cannot really read that word one more time. Like we need more. speaker-1: know, I really appreciate you sharing all of this. ⁓ one one thing that we always have people do is share in this part of the the show the toolbox takeaway. What's one mindset or tool or book that you've really like leaned on in in tougher times or been able to utilize when things get tough or like when you kind of just have to grind it out and and get through things? speaker-0: Yeah. I think that the biggest rock and support in my life is God. And I think being able to lean on Him in all sorts situations and circumstances, ⁓ that's how I've gotten through what you know, my life and everything that I've done. And every hobby that I have, writing books, tallow, you know, these different things that I'm doing, it's like everything that I do isn't for my glory. It's not for praise to me or what I have accomplished. It's like All of this is for the glory of God. And I think that that is the one thing that I hope that people would see or in my writing that it's like it's him and not me. And I hope that my kids see that, that it's all about him. And I hope that when I'm gone, you know, I think about that. It's like when I'm gone, what what kind of legacy are you gonna leave? What are you gonna leave behind? And I think about like, okay, well, my books was, you know, would be something that's there and it's like, okay, what what did that t point towards? point towards Christ. And I think that's important to me because he's always been there for me. speaker-1: Thanks for stopping by. And ⁓ okay, one other thing, I really want to make sure that people are able to f find your books and your products. So what's the best way to find all of your books? speaker-0: Yeah, so I saw all my books on Amazon. ⁓ it's easier to search my name. So if you search Madison ⁓ Fraser, you're gonna come up with everything. ⁓ doing the titles of the books because I'm not a best selling author. They don't just get pushed up to the top. But yeah, so you can find everything on Amazon. speaker-1: And then as far as your tallow products, what's the best way for people to find those? speaker-0: ⁓ so I'm on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook is Fraser Maid and then Instagram is Minnesota Wife. Those are my handles. ⁓ and I do most of my orders just through like someone will send me a message. You know, I've thought about setting up a place to order, but it's like so far it's worked really well just for people to message me. It's like, Hey, let's connect, let's meet up and I think it's very small town, you know. Yeah. It's really it's really cool. speaker-1: Word of mouth. Yeah. And then what farmers markets, what what craft shows and things do you hit up so that people can keep an eye out for you as well? speaker-0: Yeah, in the summer, ⁓ almost every Saturday last year I was at the Bemidji Farmers Market. ⁓ and then in terms of craft shows, I've done some in Bemidji, some in Grand Rapids, some in Bovey. ⁓ I don't have any on the schedule right now for the spring, but the farmers market in Bemidji will be starting in May. So you'll probably see me there. Yeah, gotta get ready. speaker-1: So coming up soon. Well, cool. I really yeah, again, thanks for stopping by and sharing what you're doing and all well staying busy with kiddos at home too. speaker-0: Yeah, thanks for having me. That was fun.