Want to read a book that shares how a positive attitude, gumption, and bravery can trump life’s obstacles?
SuperCat! Splat! Splat! is a picture story book for little readers and toddlers, based on the true adult story told in the award-winning memoir/art book Soldier, Sister, Savant (2021, Pen Women Press
Splat! Splat! teaches children who read—or who are read to—that we can make happiness for ourselves, even though bad things may happen to us along life’s way; that life—and we—do not have to be perfect; but, rather, that every single one of us is special, no matter; and, importantly, that kindness and bravery can conquer fear.
What’s more is that Splat! Splat! interacts with those being read to or reading themselves and invites them to respond with their own thoughts and feelings throughout the book written by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and illustrated, with the help of AI, by award-winning digital artist, the neurodivergent, acquired savant and veteran, Diana de Avila., M.S. in Education, whose artistic gift arrived magically and suddenly in 2017 after an exacerbation of a previous spinal-chord injury and Multiple Sclerosis.
While the marketplace is full of children’s books whose words and illustrations not merely entertain, but teach, and invite children to participate, our book, illustrated by a digital artist who herself is neurodivergent, allows a first-hand look at the power of acceptance, gratitude, and never giving up.
Our story deals with successfully accepting life’s challenges. A warm, educational, and memorable book for a young audience, it contributes to the growing list of books by those with special conditions themselves who write/illustrate them. We hope you will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed taking digital artist Diana de Avila’s rare life experience and turning it into a children’s picture book.
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and Diana de Avila M.S.Ed.
Pen Women Press, September, 2022
Soldier, Sister, Savant is the inspirational and unique story of Diana de Avila and her journey to artistic genius as an Acquired Art Savant. Her creative fractal art emerged after worsening traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a relapse of Multiple Sclerosis. Acquired Savants are a rarity; female Acquired Savants even rarer.
The story of Diana de Avila and her Acquired Savant Syndrome, a little-heard-of and understudied phenomenon, is an honest and compelling one in which she details her struggles and sudden gifts. This hybrid memoir introduces readers to the digital art savant, not born with such talent but who arrives at it, literally, by accident. The authors share significant events in de Avila’s life prior to the advent of her “accidental genius,” as well as many examples of her art. Readers will discover the enormous role that faith, family, resilience, and resolve play in de Avila overcoming life-threatening odds in order to prolifically produce over 1200 pieces of extraordinary digital art.
*The book received first place in memoir in the state of Florida competition sponsored by National League of American Pen Women. It was also awarded first place in non-fiction in the national competition sponsored by NLAPW. The documentary short based on the book earned a Bronze Telly as well.
Most Likely to Succeed at Work: How to Get Ahead at Work Using Everything You Learned in High School
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and Jack Dougherty
St. Martin's Press, 2004
As Kurt Vonnegut once said, "True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country." When it comes down to it, work — with its know-it-alls, gossips, and brown-nosers — is a lot like high school. This clever and useful book helps readers identify and better communicate with these and other common types we all remember from the days when report cards, not business reports, were our concern, and when the big social event was the prom, not the company picnic.
Business Writing: What Works, What Won't (third edition)
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D.
St. Martin's Press, December, 2015
Do your business memos get the results you want? Do you panic when it's time to write the year-end sales report, or that deal-clinching letter to a potential client? If so, you're not alone. Like you, many people who write on the job feel unsure about their skills, and wish there were simple guidelines for getting started and expressing themselves in winning ways. This practical, fun, confidence-boosting guide offers exactly those guidelines. Author Wilma Davidson shares her fifteen years of experience as a corporate writing coach, delivering the essential information, motivation, and inspiration needed to write more effectively on the job. Using dozens of sample letters, memos, and other real-office documents, plus engaging exercises and copious illustrations, Davidson covers every aspect of business writing, from conquering writer's block, to revising first drafts, to finessing the finer points of structure, argument, and style. In 2018, the book was translated into Mandarin.
Writing a Winning College Application Essay
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and Susan McCloskey, Ph.D.
Peterson's Press, 1996
It's one of the most dreaded aspects of the college application process. But it doesn't have to be. This lively handbook makes composing effective college essays a manageable process instead of an ordeal. It guides students confidently through each stage of the writing, provides examples, and reveals what admissions officers are looking for.
A Writer's Survival Guide
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and Susan Kline
The perfect writer's companion, this four-page "cheat sheet" offers practical tips and advice for writers new and experienced alike. Laminated for durability, A Writer's Survival Guide is chock full of key lessons learned from our Business Writing Workshops including The 10 Keys to Quality Writing, Common Errors, Often Confused Words, and much more!
To purchase copies of A Writer's Survival Guide, please email us.
A Presenter's Survival Guide
by Wilma Davidson, Ed.D. and Susan Kline
Our Presenter's Survival Guide encapsulates lessons learned from our Presentation Skills Workshops and arranges them in an easy-to-carry and durable form. Perfect for quick reference before that important presentation, A Presenter's Survival Guide includes tips on The ABC's of a Successful Presentation, How to Calm Pre-Delivery Nerves, How to Use PowerPoint and Visual Aids Properly, and much more!
To purchase copies of A Presenters's Survival Guide, please email us.