SMITHTOWN MESSENGER - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011
Local Author Branches Out
- Mixing Children’s Lit with Motivation
By Chad Kushins
Smithtown’s own Erin Ley has a lot to be thankful for, and is the person to admit it. A cancer survivor who is also the proud mother of what she deems “three miracle babies”, the young children’s author has not only become a successful motivational speaker, but is currently readying herself for a local media blitz for her beloved children’s character, “Maggie the Magnificent”.
Ley first sat down with the Smithtown Messenger in 2005 upon the publication of the first “Maggie” book. Since that time, Ley has not only been on a successful book tour, but has also taken her incredible story of survival to numerous campuses and hospitals, mixing humor and motivation at her lively speaking engagements. Aside from a second children’s book, she also has gone on to pen an adult-oriented non-fiction work, “the Will to Live”, a memoir of her fight against cancer – ten percent of all proceeds of which to she American Cancer Society.As a secondary career, Ley also works as a professional life coach and cancer counselor and advocate, instilling many of the virtues and lessons from the latter, adult-oriented book, something that is tied to her original course of studies: Ley holds a Bachelor’s of Arts, specializing in speech/language pathology, with a minor in Psychology from Hofstra University.
“After I beat cancer, I was able to volunteer some time to talk with other people who were either suffering from the disease or were adjusting to also having beaten it,” Ley told the Messenger. “It didn’t take long before I realized that I wanted to do this, to help people in such a similar circumstance, on a larger basis.”
Her devotion not only led to “The Will to Live”, but also in Ley’s high-demand motivational speaking appearances. In 2008, while making an appearance at Huntington’s famed Book Revue bookstore, she was awarded with an official Proclamation, given by Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy, for her achievements and advocacy.
“It was a huge moment,” said Ley, “getting that type of recognition.” But is was also that type of recognition that led to Ley’s invitation to act as keynote speaker at Stony Brook University’s Pediatric Cancer department that same year, as well as the launch of her online talk radio show, “onward and Upward”.
Ley, who lives in Smithtown with her husband, Ronnie and three children – Brendan, 13, Danny, 9 and Maggie, 8 – is currently gearing up for wider recognition in 2011. Just this year, the young author is overseeing the re-publication of both “Maggie” books, as well as signing with a Long Island-based publisher that will oversee the expansion of her children’s character, as well as Ley’s own company, Onward Productions, Inc., which helps her retain the rights to the adventures of Maggie.
Ley initially picked “onward” as the theme of her company and show title because of its connotation with hopefulness and optimism. As she explained, “ My children’s fiction is about progressing and learning … the adult-oriented, motivational material is made in order to help patients and their families more “onward.” And with the radio show, I retained that same theme because it is about trying to raise the bar in society and help families and the society itself as a whole break out of the status quo, if not the downslide that we can experience, and more “onward.”
Keeping busy, Ley is currently working a further children’s material. “It’s been a very, very exciting time,” said Ley. “With my speaking engagements and the cancer book, I hadn’t done as much children’s writing, which I missed.”
According to Ley, she was approached to expand on the “Maggie” character and even consider merchandising efforts, something that she not only accepted, but also has put her back in the swing of things to write another upcoming “Maggie” adventure. “What we’re looking to do this year is take my Onward Productions, and expand on what we can do with the “Maggie” stories.
Ley explained that Onward Productions is actually a multi-layered business model, and in the coming year, she plans to use a three-step process to make the educational children’s stories more accessible and attainable for new audiences. Under the first step and with the aid of marketing directors Patrick Aievoli and Jeremy Cohn, her website (which also offers her radio program) will “go tech,” in becoming more video oriented and function with an e=commerce model, making her books and appearances readily available. The second step involves making the books – both the children and adult material – available for instant download and readable on such paperless mediums as the popular Kindle reader. And finally, by the end of the year, Ley hopes to see “Maggie” merchandise including learning-instilled video games, available to help children learn and aid in schooling, right on the web-site.
“The character of Maggie is always seen learning and evolving,” said Ley, “and I love that, using the site, children can grow and learn with her.
Ley continued, “I’m so happy to see (Onward Productions, Inc.) come together like this, and feeling like I’ve finally found the true essence of bringing everything together … I’m very excited and grateful for the new year and the things that are upcoming.”
All information on Erin Ley, including her speaking engagement schedule and book sales, can be found at www.erinley.com. Her monthly broadcast, including archived episodes can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com.
It would make everyone WAY more happier!” said another.
