Donna Hart already has many children’s books available at stores throughout the area but is gearing up for another new release.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming up with poetry, verse, rhymes stuff like that and I thought it would be neat to have my stories come to life with illustrations,” Hart said. “It just seemed like a fun thing to do and something to make children happy with.”

She said “Sherry Strawberry’s Library Book” is expected to be making shelves sometime in August.

“‘Sherry Strawberry’s Clubhouse’ was my first book, and my latest book is ‘The Happy Butterfly,” Hart said. “I left them kind of unfinished for awhile because the feeling would come to finish them and then it would and then it wouldn’t and then I did a lot of moving there at one point and so it kind of took a backseat for a long time.  But I guess I kind of feel like I’m in the place now where I can continue to write the children’s stories.”

Hart has made Troy, Kan. her home.  She moved to northeast Kansas from California seven years ago after meeting a boy.

“I had lived in California for almost 10 years and I just couldn’t imagine not having Dennis in my life,” Hart said. “He’s one of the main reasons I came out here.”

Hart ended up moving to the small town and marrying Dennis and working on numerous types of writings.

“I’m working on a mystery novel with my mother, I’m also working on a screenplay with my best friend in Massachusetts, I’m also working on a trucker’s stories book which is kind of a compilation of stories from truckers,” Hart said.

So far, Hart has published eight children’s picture books, and one coloring book this year.  Her books are available at Hastings Entertainment at 605 N Belt Hwy, on Amazon.com, The Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, and amazingthingspress.com.

Hart will be at Hastings August 1 from noon to 4 p.m. for a book signing and at a summer book launch party held August 29th at the Tobiason Studio in St. Joseph located at 302 S. 8th St. from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.