Cozy Mysteries and Children's Picture Books
Kelly Brakenhoff
I’ve loved words and language since grade school when my younger sister and I crafted homemade comic books featuring the adventures of dogs and cats–think Snoopy meets Garfield. I wrote the text, while she provided the illustrations. They were pretty bad.
I always dreamt of being an author. Growing up, teachers told me I was a good writer and nurtured that longing in me. For many years, working as an ASL Interpreter and raising four children left little time to write anything longer than an annual family missive.
Although the people on my Christmas Card list looked forward to my amusing letters, they didn’t magically lead to a riveting 80,000 word novel.
From my books, you’ll get to read about Deaf Culture, American Sign language, Hawaii, Nebraska, academia, cooking, baking, religion, sports, dogs and whatever new hobby I’m into next. Life is a great ride, and I’d love to take you down the road with me-one book at a time.
Cassandra Sato’s story began as a NaNoWriMo project in 2014 where I mashed up many of my life experiences together to create a fictional college campus with a funny, strong-willed main character. Mysteries and thrillers are my favorites to read and write. There are currently a prequel, four full-length books, and two Halloween short stories in the series. Books 5 will come out in 2024!
In 2019, I published the first in a children’s picture book series whose adorable main character is Duke the Deaf Dog. Duke’s stories share important messages about Deaf Culture and American Sign Language that are dear to my heart. Every child needs to learn the social emotional impacts of being left out, how to include their peers who are different than them, and polite behaviors. I’m thrilled to spotlight my talented Deaf friends who contributed to the educational content in the books, workbooks and lesson plans, and accompanying videos. This year brings more Duke books and special treats. I can’t wait to share more details with you soon!
Ironically, my sister, Theresa Murray, is the illustrator. She’s also a skilled muralist and interior designer. These books are AMAZING!
