by Frank Vaisvilas

Although she loves her job working with children as a school bus driver for the Plano school district, it was not until later in life when she figured out what she believes she was born to do.

“I wished I would’ve realized that sooner,” said Cynthia Mueller.

Mueller, 49, of Plano recently had a book published, “Beyond the Garden Arbor.”

“I’ve always loved to write,” Mueller said.

Yet, she did not seriously pursue it as a profession until more recently. She submitted a manuscript to Tate Publishing and Enterprises, a Christian publisher based in Oklahoma.

“They only accept 4 percent of their manuscripts is what I was told,” Mueller said.

Before that, she had submitted poems to sites, such as poetry.com.

“I got to thinking maybe I’m good enough to try to write a novel,” Mueller said.

The book is targeted toward girls and pre-teen girls. The fantasy/fiction follows a girl growing up and has themes of family, love and morals.

“I believe that there is a shortage of wholesome reading out there for the age group that my book is written for,” Mueller said.

The idea for her story came when she overheard one of the children she buses talk about a secret place in their backyard.

“I used my own love of nature and gardening,” Mueller said.

She began thinking of the story throughout the rest of the school year ending in 2006.

“By the time school let, I pretty much had the whole story in my head,” Mueller said.

She believes working with children throughout the years has kept her youthful and has helped her.

Now, she is beginning to go to book signings and promote her book.

“Things are really just starting to happen now,” Mueller said.

She had a book signing at the Plano Library on Jan. 26 with Plano Mayor William Roberts.

The book is sold on web sites, such as Amazon and Borders.

And she has a few book signing events scheduled at area Barnes and Noble bookstores.

She hopes her book will be picked up by school districts and said it could also be used for home-schooled children. She adds that parents can be assured that her Christian-based book does not contain anything offensive or anything they would not want their children to read.

Mueller also has other books in the works. This time, she is writing for both boys and girls.

Learn more about “Beyond the Garden Arbor”

By Jeff Martin | jeff.martin@examiner.net

There’s a biblical story that Edna Allen likes to tell people, of the recently deceased entering God’s warehouse and discovering all the undelivered gifts the recipient never received.

Perhaps that’s where the idea for Crystalyn Gardner came from.

Gardner, the heroine of Allen’s recently published book “A Better Way,” discovers her hidden strengths and talents when, pregnant and without a supportive boyfriend, she risks it all by moving to another town to start life all over.

“When I submitted the manuscript,” Allen said, “my publisher knew it was more than a romance novel.”

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is an exploration of not only the character Gardner, but of Allen herself, who works as a special education teacher at the Freshman Center in Blue Springs.

“I was never a huge TV watcher,” she said. “And I never thought that I’d sit down and write a bestseller or anything. I’ll just do this as a hobby.”

Well, the hobby paid off.

The story is unique but universal. When Gardner discovers she’s pregnant and her boyfriend encourages an abortion, she flees from several painful circumstances, including a dysfunctional mother and a fatherless childhood. Relocating to Cedar Creek, she comes into contact with other women who cannot have children, and she asks God why this is.

“She begins to ask herself why God is allowing her to have a healthy baby when other women can’t,” Allen said.

In the meantime, Gardner receives help from a local church (she is employed as a cleaning woman) and crisis pregnancy center before falling in love from what Allen describes as a “kind, gentle man and from a savior and Lord she thought existed only for good people.”

While many of the people and places in the book are somewhat modeled after Blue Springs, it’s the pregnancy center in “A Better Way” that is closely modeled after a local institution, the Rachel House, a Pregnancy Resource Center. Allen plans to donate a portion of her profit, after tithe, to the local resource center.

“Places like the Rachel House give hope and encouragement to females who vow to keep their baby or place in adoption,” she said.

Allen’s attempt at publishing was born out of a love for storytelling and God, two critical components to her 380-page story.

“I thought God wanted to bless me, by giving me the energy and the inspiration to write this book,” she said.

While the circumstances facing Gardner are not Allen’s own, Allen did find her own experiences as an attractive girl and wanting loving acceptance as a basis for Gardner. They’re both similar because, in many ways, they want the same things.

“Basically, I learned in my life, as does Gardner, that you have to have a loving relationship with God to find love and acceptance in life.”

The novel took 11 months to write, mostly on Saturday’s when her husband and son did activities together. Since its publication, Allen has received some positive comments from staff and students at the school.

“Kids do relate to the character in many ways, and that’s great to hear,” she said.

Her next project is a historical romance involving three sisters.

“It’s so wonderful to be able to write and publish, and even if only my family and friends read it, that’s fine.”

The book is available at most bookstores and can be purchased online at www.amazon.com.

Learn more about “A Better Way“