Soap Lake author debuts her children's book
Lois Swenson holds on to her new children's book, "A Car That Runs on Dish Soap."
MOSES LAKE - Soap Lake author Lois Swenson's new children's book, "A Car That Runs on Dish Soap" is a simple story about a complex issue - love.
"By tomorrow, I want each of you to think of one thing you want to do when you grow up," the fictional character Mrs. McCreary, the fourth-grade teacher, says in Swenson's book.
Throughout the rest of the 16 page book, Mrs. McCreary's eight students try to come up with ways to finish their homework assignment while walking home from school.
One of the students, Taylar, wanted to invent a car that runs on dish soap.
Another student, Kelly, suggested trying to train butterflies.
The students meet an older woman in a wheelchair as they are about to cross a street.
The woman's wheel hits a rock and her grocery bags spill into the street.
"Without saying anything, the students picked up her things and helped her get on her way home," wrote Swenson.
The woman makes a surprise visit to the classroom later on and tells the students and teacher how the simple act of love can change the world the most.
"A Car That Runs on Dish Soap" is a story about dreams, not giving up and love, said Swenson, 59, who works as a nurse for the Grant County Health District in Moses Lake.
"I want this book to open up conversation between kids and parents, so that they can talk about dreams and not giving up even though your first try isn't good enough," she said. "We all have dreams we want to pursue."
Swenson started writing the book 10 years ago. It was project she started with the idea of donating book sales to world hunger organizations.
She said she initially shopped it around to publishers and some said they would publish it only if she paid them money.
"I wanted a publisher that believed in it," she said.
Between the time Swenson started the book and the moment PublishAmerica Inc. announced they would publish her book, came her divorce of a 27-year marriage, followed by a seven-year "solo period" and then, a three-year marriage to her late husband, Mark Swenson.
He was the one who encouraged her to try get the book published again, she said.
"He would be pleased with this book. His best friend said one of the best things about Mark was his encouragement with all of our family and friends," she said. "He was always a loving man."
Mark Swenson died during a solo hike to Mount Cashmere.
The couple met through a Christian dating Web site in late 2006, and married shortly after. They relocated to Twisp, near Winthrop, where the two hiked and enjoyed "God's land."
Mark Swenson got laid off by his employer, North Cascades National Bank, in July 2009.
Lois Swenson's old public health nurse job re-opened in August and the family relocated to the Soap Lake area in September.
"You can't always focus on the bad stuff. Mark had a whole year to hang out with his family after he got laid off," said Swenson. "God's timing is perfect,"
Swenson said she went back hiking by herself in August, on Mark Swenson's birthday, to one of the couple's favorite spots on the Patterson Mountain Trail.
"He just showed me a love for the mountains, how peaceful it can be. People wanted to come with me on the hike, but I wanted to go by myself," she said.
Swenson said she chooses to remember her late husband by sharing his love of nature.
"Love is a verb; it's what you do after you say you love someone that matters the most," she said. "There are too many memories of Mark."
The first copy of the children's book arrived around Christmas, she said.
"Mark was always giving me gifts," said Swenson.
She said the book came at a wonderful time for the family.
"Getting this book published isn't a pride thing ... We can learn so much from kids, they show love so easily and naturally," she said.
"The Car That Runs on Dish Soap" is illustrated by Swenson's son, Eric Smith, of Wenatchee. All of the characters in the book are of Swenson's kids or grandchildren.
"Our copy at the house is pretty worn out. The grandkids keep looking at the pictures and point out who is who," she said.
"The Car That Runs on Dish Soap" is available at Hastings in Moses Lake.