About Sandy Lardinois

hen “cut” and “paste” meant using a scissors and Elmer’s glue, I laid out my first book. The printing company used a four-foot camera to convert the illustrations into images for the pages of the book. Space for the text was blocked out with black construction paper glued on onionskin paper. Pages and proofs went back and forth through the mail. Fast forward to scanners, digital cameras, JPGs, and PDFs. You gotta love it – having your creativity and memories jump to life, to be held in your hands and shared, seemingly within minutes.

In 2007, I started working for a small publisher, LifeVest Publishing, in the production room, laminating covers. I moved to sales, clerical, and editing before I finally got my chance to do some book and cover designs. At last, I felt I had found my niche. Then, it happened! The day I returned from a working vacation in Wisconsin, I was laid off. Ultimately, I continued editing and contracted book designs for LifeVest until the Revenue Office locked their doors, and they owed me money – the dirty rotten scoundrels. I was appalled at what this did to the 600+ authors who had their books with LifeVest. One author’s project had a special appeal to me because I was there when Karen Jones’ package of homemade beanpole books arrived. I loved them – all six sets. When LifeVest went down, two sets were done and a third was close. The little company sitting in my back pocket was the perfect solution: JeWeL Publishing was about to get serious. For years I had “dabbled” in desk-top publishing, doing brochures, ballads, and an annual 24- page vacation guide. The name, JeWeL Publishing, evolved from my son’s initials: J W L. And, I