It all began because Grayson Smith had written a story for his niece and wanted to turn it into a gift.
Now he has his own independent publishing company, Peppermint Toast Publishing, and he's about to launch the company's first book - that very story he first wrote for his niece four years ago.
Flight of the Mite, which tells the story of a tiny mite with a big imagination who goes travelling to a star, is being introduced to the world at a book launch on Thursday at the Hide Out Café.
Getting to this point has been a labour of love for Smith and for his wife's cousin, Alana Kyle, whom he drafted to illustrate the book.
"My first idea was to illustrate it myself, but I found out I can't draw," Smith admits with a laugh.
So he thought of Kyle, who studied at Emily Carr University and also has a diploma in illustration and design from Capilano University. Kyle agreed to take a look at his story, and their partnership took off.
They admit it's taken a long time to come to fruition, since both have also been pursuing other jobs. Smith is a Delta police officer, and Kyle recently gave up her job as a receptionist in a physiotherapy centre.
With more time to devote to her art, she decided to put her mind to trying to make a go of illustration work. The chance to illustrate a children's book was one she leapt at.
"I've always loved kids' books," she says, noting she's inspired by the work of such illustrators as Richard Scarry. "I was always drawn to that way of conveying something in a picture."
While she originally viewed the book as a chance to beef up her own illustration portfolio, it quickly became a project close to her own heart.
"I'm really excited to share it with everybody," she says.
Smith notes that the bulk of the labour was in fact Kyle's. He wrote the story himself in a day, he says, and though the editing process was meticulous, it was nothing compared to the hours that Kyle spent on the drawings.
"There's a lot of hours in there," Kyle says, noting she spent many early mornings and long nights on the project, occasionally dragging herself away from the desk to go for a run. "It was kind of like eat, sleep, draw, run, eat, sleep draw."
While researching how best to publish the book, Smith discovered that most traditional publishing houses don't accept submissions from author-illustrator partnerships.
He also looked into self-publishing but decided the best route was to in fact set up his own publishing company.
He admits it hasn't been an easy process.
"It's a really steep learning curve, but for the most part everything is sorting itself out," he says.
He's marketing his book and the company mainly through social media, including some partnerships with parenting blogs.
He's also struck up a partnership with the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation - his company will give $3 from every book sold to the foundation, and in return the foundation will help to market the book.
Looking to the future, Peppermint Toast Publishing will provide a home for authors and illustrators who'd like to have their own children's work published.
"I think there's a lot of people out there who have an idea for a children's book," Smith says. "Almost everyone has kids in their lives they would love to have a unique gift for."
He's not sure what to expect, but he says social media is already proving its reach. Just the other morning he sent off a book to West Liberty, Ohio, and he has no idea how that person found him.
He's looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for Peppermint Toast.
"I don't think it'll necessarily become Scholastic overnight, but it's interesting how far-reaching it can be," he says.
The book launch is being held at the Hide Out Café, 716 Carnarvon St., on Thursday, Dec. 12. There will be a reading, desserts and a chance to get books signed. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and all are welcome. See www.pepperminttoast.com for more.
