We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joni Franks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Joni, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?
One of my hero’s is the late Queen Elizabeth. I didn’t know much about her, other than she was a corgi lover like me, until I was gifted a book about her life story. After reading that book, I was moved by the way she so selflessly dedicated herself to her nation at a very young age. I was moved by her faith and her love for her constituency and her dedication to serving! This type of personality would be unusual to find in American politics today.
I was so moved by her story, that I wrote her a letter and I mailed her the first three books I had authored and illustrated about my Welsh corgi, Sagebrush and our Colorado adventures together. I shared with her that I was trying to make a positive difference in the world for the new generation through my writing.
I never expected to hear back from her. Yet only three weeks later I received Royal Mail from the palace, expressing gratitude for my gift of my Corky Tails, Tales of a Tailless Dog Named Sagebrush books and thanks for the sentiments I had expressed in my letter!
Joni, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
When I left my job in the business world, I decided to channel my energy and efforts into a book series that addressed themes that were close to my heart. In my Corky Tails book series, I talk about equality, bullying, environmental conservation, homelessness, night sky preservation, and not making judgements based on appearance. Through the voice of my Welsh corgi, Sagebrush, the protagonist in Corky Tails, awareness is brought to these timely themes.
There are presently nine Corky Tails books in the series, with six new books coming out in the next years. I am so happy to be making a difference in the world through my writing and the illustrations I have created.
To date these books have earned over fifty literary honors and I have most recently been named the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Illustrator of the Year!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I self-published fourteen books in eight years with the desire to remain true to my words, my stories and my art. I choice the subjects that spoke to me the most to incorporate into the story lines. I saw the settings and the characters clearly in my mind, then told their story through my writing. I attended writing conferences to learn more about marketing, and I did as many book selling events as I could where I met wonderful authors that have become my friends.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I met my traditional book publisher in 2018 at a writing conference in Billings, Montana. It was just a casual meeting but just last year that connection paid off, when I was blessed to sign a fifteen-book contract for my Corky Tails book series.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jonifranks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corkytails1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corkytails1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joni-franks-721973183/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKPwujQFHPA
