In Tae Kwon Dog's latest book, kids go on a wild adventure where mysteries unfold on every page and timely life lessons like kindness, respect, gratitude, and connection are communicated in a fun and playful way. Set in New Mexico, the story exposes them to the Land of Enchantment's rich culture, historic traditions, yummy foods, and special relationships between the most unlikely characters. Exposing kids to diverse cultures early builds empathy, squashes biases, and expands their worldview -- all essential to growing informed humans!

HOW IT ALL STARTED

One day while I was doodling with my dog Otto by my side, I imagined him as a superhero with a secret power. A sleek black-and-tan Miniature Pinscher, Otto was a sweet and funny character, but fierce to the bone. Ten pounds of solid muscle and determination, he reminded me of a canine version of a Tae Kwon Do black belt. I loved dressing him in costumes and thought he’d look great in a martial arts uniform so I drew him in a dobok — and Tae Kwon Dog was born!

In 2021 Tae Kwon Dog made his debut in the action-packed romp “Tae Kwon Dog - The Power Within”. It’s a fun and poignant tale of a once scruffy pup turned canine black belt who breaks boulders with his bare paws, spins out of sight into thin air, empowers the weak and timid to face their fears, and makes bullies shake and run. Since then, Tae Kwon Dog has enjoyed an enthusiastic welcoming on Amazon from middle-grade readers and their parents, from the US and Canada, to the UK and Australia, collecting almost forty five-star reviews!

Now the Tae Kwon Do Master is back and ready to take his readers on a new far-flung adventure filled with wild rides, unexpected meetups, engaging native cultures and mysteries that linger well beyond the last page of the book.

As in the first book, this new adventure highlights the disciple of Tae Kwon Dog's martial arts character in teaching resilience through failure and calmness under pressure. Both books take those heavy, serious life skills and package them into a fun, approachable story complete with awesome illustrations that kids will actually want to read at bedtime.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

When I finished my manuscript, I was fortunate to have the children’s book editor who worked on my first book fully edit it. However, the designer/illustrator who did an amazing job on "Tae Kwon Dog - The Power Within", was no longer available to work on an independent project.

Gratefully, my search led me to a top-notch designer who recently finalized the front and back covers of the new book...and they are amazing!

IT WILL TAKE A VILLAGE TO PUBLISH TAE KWON DOG THIS YEAR.

ARE YOU IN?

For Tae Kwon Dog’s latest adventure to be published before the 2026 holiday season, it will take a village.

Any contribution will help our village raise the essential funds for my book to go to print. Although no gifts, or giveaways are allowed on Go Fund Me, these milestones will help us achieve our goal.

The Community Milestone: When our village raises $1,000, I will host a free, live-streamed interactive reading with a follow up question and answer period for any child, parent, or educator who wants to attend.

The Pay-It-Forward Goal: For every $500 we raise, I am donating 10 copies of the new book directly to low-income youth martial arts programs and community centers to help inspire the next generation.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

I increased the budget for the new book by 20% over the first book, knowing it is five years later and certain aspects of the project had changed. To my surprise, I found it would be considerably more to self-publish this year than I had expected.

I reserved $6,000 for the approximately 14,000-word book with cover art and illustrations. To date, I have spent $3,500 on editing and the front and back cover design. Though, to complete the book's twelve illustrations, interior design and layout and format the book for print, plus the fees to Reedsy (editor/designer), the total project cost is $11,200. My designer did an incredible job on the covers and I'm beyond excited to work with her to complete the book's illustrations.

ALL funding will be used for twelve interior illustrations, interior layout design, and formatting for self-publication.

WHO'S IN OUR VILLAGE?

Calling all supporters of kids lit who believe as I do that feel-good stories that lift kids up, inspire their self-confidence and teach them about life in fun ways they will remember fondly, are stories that deserve a space on our bookshelves at home and in our libraries. With messages of kindness, respect, gratitude and connection, and introductions to both the Native American and New Mexican cultures, I believe Tae Kwon Dog will once again touch the hearts and minds of kids and parents alike.

By supporting Tae Kwon Dog’s latest adventure, you will join a village that encourages thoughtful kids to respect themselves and others, as they learn to do while training in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do. And in doing so, you'll help them grow up to be better humans.

Thank you all for considering to help Tae Kwon Dog launch his new adventure. There are so many fund-worthy projects on Go Fund Me, and I am humbled to be among them asking for your support. Blessings!