Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Patterson.
Hi Lori, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I wrote a children’s book called The Poop Factory in 2024. Honestly, writing a book, especially one about poop, was never something I thought about doing before last year. However, this path now makes perfect sense to me since I have an innate love of children’s literature, performance, and humor. I’ve had previous experience in marketing, professional development, and recruiting for the legal and consulting industries. I also have a degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.
My priorities these days focus on spending time with my family, coordinating life logistics, and taking care of our family business and homestead. I also love volunteering at my son’s school. I am volunteering in the school library this year, which has been so much fun and helpful to learn more about the children’s book world.
I am also a lifelong avid student of different energy healing and spiritual modalities. I am a certified Wellness Counselor, Inner Voice Facilitator, and Emotion Code Practitioner. I love practicing energy healing on myself, my family, and a handful of clients.
I also love to travel, and have fun and interesting experiences. My husband and I have been to all seven continents together. He’s been a huge catalyst for adventure in my life. I am also a mom to my wonderful son. It is the greatest job I ever could have imagined.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My main challenge has been bringing awareness of The Poop Factory to larger audiences. The book was published through a hybrid publisher, which means that as the author, I had a huge say in the creative process. However, marketing after the launch of the book has been a stretch. I’ve mostly had to rely on my own knowledge and contacts to spread the word beyond the local market. It has been an interesting process learning how to gain readership and traction within a wider audience.
Despite these obstacles, The Poop Factory won a first place award at the BookFest Awards, has been featured on a billboard in NYC’s Times Square, was on display at the LA Times Festival of Books, and has been presented at a handful of successful Storytime events at local bookstores and schools around Austin.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After experiencing a fairly common health issue with my son, I was driving home after taking him to school. My mind was quiet and my heart was open. Words of a humorous poem began to flow through me and they made me laugh. I immediately wrote the verses down in my phone. I had actually never thought seriously about writing a children’s book before. However, I just had a strong intuition that this poem should be made into a kid’s book. I knew that other parents had experienced the same situation and that constipation is a prevalent health issue in kids.
I am hopeful that the story is a resource for parents and can be used as an extra tool in their toolkit. The lesson in the book is an important one. If kids are laughing, I think they’ll be more invested in engaging with the lesson. Even if they don’t get the lesson the first time around, it’s important to give kids the gift of joy and laughter, and hopefully instill a love for reading!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
When I was about 5 years old, a babysitter gave me a book with a corresponding record. It was “Free to Be You and Me” by Marlo Thomas and friends. Each author recorded their story or music so kids could listen and follow along. I really loved all of the songs and stories in the book. I think I memorized each one of them, and I still know Carol Channing’s “Housework” poem by heart.
This experience as a child really curated my love for the arts and performing, and inspired me to pursue acting in school as a teenager. I write now because it fulfills that creative spark within me and it also connects me to my inner most being. Being able to connect with kids through Storytime of my own book is something I cherish. I hope my book can spark creativity within other kids who are inspired by humor and the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thepoopfactorybook.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepoopfactorybook
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215956330-the-poop-factory
- Other: https://a.co/d/2Lpd7a8
