Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Marx.
Hi Donna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After I retired in 2020, I spent a lot of time with my grandsons while their parents worked. Since I was a teacher, I liked planning our days with themed activities, like Dinosaur Day or Space Day, and we started calling it Camp Grandma. The boys and I read a LOT of picture books! One day I thought “This can’t be THAT hard. I think I’d like to write one.” So, I wrote about our Camp Grandma days. As I started digging into the craft of writing picture books, I would soon realize it was NOT easy and that I had a lot to learn.
The idea for my first traditionally published picture book came on a Camp Grandma Hockey Day. We were playing hockey in the driveway and the puck kept getting away from us and rolling down the street. Every time that happened we would shout, “Runaway Puck!” (the first story title). It reminded me of the book, The Runaway Pea by Kjartan Poskitt. It’s a story about a pea that rolls off the plate and into some adventures. So, I started writing the story with a similar pattern.
In this story Puck is thrilled to compete in the Winter Games. But when his teammates get all the glory, he feels invisible and underappreciated. Puck is determined to claim his moment in the spotlight, so he races into bobsledding, snowboarding, and skating— facing wipeouts, penalties, and plenty frustration. Through his journey, Puck discovers that by embracing the spirit of teamwork, he unlocks his true potential to shine.
Years later, in November of 2025, The Little Press Publishing decided Puck’s story needed to be out in the world. This became my debut picture book called Good Luck, Puck! A Winter Games Adventure.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Publishing picture books, in general, is a challenge. There are thousands of talented writers submitting stories to agents and publishers. So, it’s difficult to get noticed. And, as I said, I had a lot of work to do in this craft when I first started.
I worked on Good Luck, Puck! over the course of three years. During that time, I joined a writing community called Rate Your Story. Since this was very early in the process of learning and investing in my craft, the number of revisions got frustrating at times. However, each one was essential for adding the “missing” elements: stronger stakes for the main character, the right combination of adventures, a better setting, more layers, a catchier title, more kid-friendly language, etc. Finally, the critiques became more focused on choosing the right words and less about the essential elements in a marketable picture book. THAT’S when it gets fun!
Oddly enough, being a published author is hard too! Your solo vision becomes the collective vision of others, i.e. publisher, editor, illustrator, and even the distributor (they suggested we make the hockey players more generic – as opposed to Team USA – for a broader appeal). Just like Puck, the main character in my book, I had to be a team player and have confidence that the changes they were making were in the best interest of the book.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My writing is focused on humorous picture books that are based upon experiences with my grandsons. They may not all get published, but they are fun to write.
Good Luck, Puck! stands out because there are no other picture books with a hockey puck as the main character. Puck’s experiences happen during the winter games, and that was a huge marketing hook, since we had the Winter Olympics in 2026. Even without the Olympics, kids love winter sports. In fact, youth hockey in the U.S. has grown steadily over the past decade. There were nearly 400,000 youth players in 2024-25. Many of those players were ages 8 and under, the perfect target market for my book. And youth hockey is so popular in Canada, that their major bookstore retailer, Indigo, is selling Good Luck, Puck!
Now that I am a published author, I have been doing author visits at local schools. This allows me to get back in front of kids and use my skills as a teacher. I’ve created a presentation that is personal and interactive. Each student gets an active part while we read the story. And I think kids connect with me right away, not necessarily because I am a former teacher, but mostly because I share that I am a grandma.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I must attribute the development of my craft as a writer to my mentor Lynne Marie. She is a multi-published author and the owner of Rate Your Story. Lynne Marie does not sugar-coat her critiques. This is tough, at first, but in the end, if you try her suggestions, your story will undoubtedly be better. I also have a wonderful group of fellow writers who give me invaluable feedback. We learn so much from discussing each other’s stories.
The success of this book is due, in part, to Michele McAvoy (The Little Press) for believing in this story.
In addition, her choice of Daniel Sulzberg as the illustrator was key. The text of a picture book cannot stand alone without compelling artwork. Daniel’s cartoon style and bright colors bring the characters to life and captivate the readers.
My husband, Jim, has been instrumental in my success in many ways. He has tolerated my inability to treat this like a hobby. My perfectionism comes into play where that is concerned. His equally creative mind helps me when I’m brainstorming ideas or revising my stories. And now that I’m published, he is busy printing 3D swag and advising me on social media marketing.
Finally, my grandsons, Luke, Bennett, and Davis get credit for the story idea. In addition, they were my beta readers and patiently listened to almost every version of this story. In fact, they were as excited as I was when the acquisition of Good Luck, Puck! was announced. The most rewarding part of this journey was their ability to witness my perseverance. What a life lesson it has been for all of us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://donnamarx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnaj_marx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnamarx
- Twitter: https://x.com/donnajmarx
