Chehalis School District teacher Halee Karnofski has turned the stories she grew up hearing from her grandma into a series of books she hopes will inspire kids to reach for their dreams.
Karnofski, a fifth grade teacher at Orin Smith Elementary, said she remembers writing stories as far back as when she was in elementary school. But the inspiration to become a published author really began with a conversation she had with a fellow teacher, where they both agreed they wanted to do something to be more creative and inspired.
Out of that conversation, Karnofski began writing stories in her journal based on memories her Nana, who immigrated to the United States from Havana, Cuba, in 1964, used to tell her when she was a child. Nana just turned 94, and Karnofski said she had always expressed that she wished she had become a writer.
“I wanted to do this for her and for myself,” Karnofski said.
The outcome of Karnofski’s writing was the basis for what Karnofski hopes will become a series of picture books inspired by Nana’s stories of her childhood. The main characters are Rosa (named for her Nana, whose name is Blanca Rosa) and her pig, Eddy (named after Karnofski’s father).
“When I told my dad I had named him Eddy he was honored but then was like ‘wait, am I the pig?’” Karnofski said with a laugh.
Karnofski sent her first book to several publishers and none of them responded. So, she joined a group on Facebook and learned about self publishing. She decided to publish her book through Ingram Spark. Through another company called Reedsy, she met illustrator Ehsan H.A. Rezaie, who created the artwork for the book.
In August 2024, she published “Rosa and Eddy: Ride the Waves” under the pen name Halee R. R. Hernandez, which is her maiden name. Though her book immediately was a hit among friends and colleagues, Karnofski said marketing herself and her book has been the most challenging part of the process.
“The fun part is the writing, and the hard part for me is putting myself out there,” Karnofski said.
Karnofski’s next book “Rosa and Eddy: Bravery in your Pocket” is already in the process of being published. She said she eventually would like to publish at least four Rosa and Eddy stories. Further down the road, Karnofski said she thinks it might be fun to write a young adult chapter book.
As a teacher, Karnofski said she has noticed how her adventure from seeking inspiration to becoming a published author has had an influence on students in her building. Many of her fellow teachers have read her book to their classes, and Karnofski was recently featured along with Eric Ode at an author night for elementary students. She said she hopes the stories of Rosa and Eddy will inspire students but that her own journey may, too.
“It’s cool. I started with just a journal and being creative and having fun and writing,” Karnofski said. “It means a lot to me that I’m inspiring them.”
“Rosa and Eddy: Ride the Waves” is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
