AnnaRose's Story Telling Tale

For as long as I can remember, I have been telling stories. I have two younger sisters, and it wasn't uncommon for me to tell them stories before bed. If they weren't interested, I would tell stories to myself, even act them out in my room. The world was more fun when looked through a storyteller's lens. This came in handy when I started babysitting. I became many kids' favourite sitter because of the games and stories I could come up with on the spot. 

As I learned to write and type on a computer, notebooks and Word documents became the home for the stories I'd been creating. As I got older, writing became my escape from the world. I would (and still do) use stories to help me make sense of whatever I was going through. Like my characters, I could become someone who was brave, strong, clever, or kind enough to face the problem. 

My inner child still looks at the world through stories and begs me to come along with her and explore worlds unseen. 

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Faith and Values in Writing

Over the years, writing and reading have shaped how I view myself and Jesus. I've always done the faith thing and still do. I love the way that writing gives perspective on God as Creator. God uses my love of writing to teach me, sometimes when I least expect it.

I am a Christian who writes, not a Christian Writer. You won't find God as a character in most of my stories, but if you look for Him, you will find Him in each one of them. And when God is a character in a story I write, you will see Him as I do, through the lens of my relationship with Him.  My beliefs and boundaries will shape my character's choices; therefore, there are moral lines I will not have them cross.

How the Website Got Its Name

Umbrella Stories is my place to share these stories and lessons with the world. I landed on the name Umbrella Stories because umbrellas are so fun and whimsical. Umbrellas also always make me smile and remind me of how, as a kid (and as an adult if I can get away with it), I loved to jump in puddles; puddles always come after a rainstorm, and the world looks so fresh and new. I always want to go and explore and puddle-jump with my inner child. 

I spend so many days stuck at my job, while my inner child longs to wander in daydreamland, fight bad guys, befriend dragons and monsters, and live out silly, unrealistic happily-ever-afters.

So join me as we escape the grown-up world and let our minds wander through worlds "we don't have time for" and puddle-jump through stories together.