CREATING FREEDOM ROCKS Picture Book is Released

Michelle Finnegan, advocate for educating children through the arts, tackles the essence of being an artist with her new volume Creating Freedom Rocks. It is an excellent introduction to life in the arts for children, not only for the illustrations but for the amazing fable contained in the book, a simple story hinting at philosophical, moral and emotional complexities that they can appreciate and which adults themselves will find very appealing.

The tale is about an allegorical "searcher" who starts out climbing a mountain, someone who seems to be like most everyone else-a man looking to "improve" himself constantly, but selfishly wanting to become all the things that he found to be powerful. He becomes, in order, a king, the sun, the wind, the earth, and the mountain he was originally climbing upon. Along comes a young girl, a carefree spirit who can appreciate the powers of nature and respects them. She climbs on the man who has, to himself, become "the most powerful force in the world"-a mountain. He is not amused at seeing someone else happy, but the girl, "happy in her own skin," is not affected by his anger, being at peace with her art and the universe.

The hand print in the last page of Creating Freedom Rocks was the foundation of "I Am Essential" shirts that were used years later for the Essential Art Musicians and Friends fundraiser. The author organized it to benefit the Harry Chapin Food Bank after organizing a food and fund drive for St. Matthew's House a week before Thanksgiving when she learned there were no turkeys or side dishes yet for about 1000 families that were expected for dinner. Thanks to the loving actions of her friends in the Little Black Dress Club, there was plenty of food served that Thanksgiving. Since 2000, Michelle Finnegan has been painting "The Prints of Freedom" by turning people's hands into art that embodies who a person is and what they do to celebrate freedom.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author
Michelle Finnegan's writing ability and her artistic ability are readily apparent in her work-simply read what she writes and look at what she paints and you know about those. But it is when you find out what she channels these talents into that you know the person she is. She is intelligent, talented, well-educated, charming, funny and delightful...but she is also caring, compassionate and committed. Michelle Finnegan was born in Boston. She was interested in the arts at an early age studying classical ballet and writing children's books when most people her age were still reading them. Supported by her parents, she was educated at several of the finest schools and participated in several artistic programs in which she painted, sculpted, and showed her photography skills, winning a number of awards for her work. The author studied at a variety of locations including Stonehill, UMASS and Amherst College. Although the crux of her concentration was in Social Theory and Political Economy, she maintained a special interest in children's literature. Says Terence Heagney, "I spent 28 years in publishing, and during most of that time I was a signer of authors. I know a good project when I see it, and a talented person when I meet one. My other career, college teaching (MIT's Sloan School and Harvard's JFK School of Government) is also one in which an ability to gauge talent is cultivated. I can recommend Michelle or her work to you without reservation, in the sure knowledge that she will be an asset to any creative enterprise."

Creating Freedom Rocks * by Michelle Finnegan
Picture Book; $15.99; 24 pages; 978-1-4568-0248-6
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4771-6079-4

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

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