Shanti Wintergate and Gregory Attonito never planned to become a children's book author/illustrator team but this power couple seem to do it all. Playfully calling themselves "Super Buddies," they dive into anything and everything creative. It all started one day while Shanti was sipping tea and having a snack at The Rose Cafe in Venice, CA. "I was sitting there when this little poem just had to come out!" So, on a napkin she wrote the first ten lines of what was to become, I Went for a Walk. What started out as ten little lines grew into an amazing story that captures the imagination and sends it flying into the stratosphere. The conception of the story happened in a few days but finding just the right illustrator was a longer journey that led to a marriage and a few trips around the world.

Shanti has been an artist all her life. Born in Hollywood, CA to an artistic and musical family from Victoria, BC, she evolved into a real Renaissance Woman as she grew up. Bursting with a passion for science and an imagination that is clearly endless, Shanti is always writing that next album, acting in that next film or TV show, painting, designing, taking photographs or exploring something new. She continues to have success in her music with radio play across the US and South America and placements of her songs can be heard on the WB's Charmed, Joan of Arcadia and MTV's Laguna Beach. Items of Shanti's can be seen on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Warped: 12 Years of Music, Mayhem and More" exhibit. Most recently she has snagged a guest starring role as "Hallie on Wheels," a roller derby girl suspected of murder on the top rated TV show CSI: NY.

Gregory Attonito has been the singer of the legendary New Jersey punk band, The Bouncing Souls, for the better part of the last 20 years. He has toured around the world more times than he can remember with the likes of My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Against Me!, NOFX, Bad Religion, The Ramones, Blondie, Max Weinberg, and countless others. This Jersey boy could take you on a tour of almost any public transit system worldwide with ease. With seven full length albums under his belt, more frequent flyer miles than he can count and his worn-out shirt and tie stating "So Rad" on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gregory is an icon when it comes to D.I.Y. In recent years, the constant touring of The Bouncing Souls left little time for other projects but times are-a-changin' and this creative genius has begun showing us that there's more to him than just an amazing front man. His MySpace page sings a different tune, displaying his artwork and self-produced and recorded music. In addition to singing, Greg loves to paint, play guitar, piano, bass, drums and a little ukulele!

Super powers Shanti and Gregory found each other in 1997 in a little village in India. Yes, India...but that story is far too long so we'll fast forward some. They fell in love, they got married, and that brings us back to The Rose Cafe and the first few lines of their newest creation together, I Went for a Walk.

I Went for a Walk is more than just a children's story. It's an adventure for anyone, and it bubbles with the love this couple has for life and each other. Subscribing to an outside-of-the-box philosophy, gentle lessons of equality, beauty and tolerance shine through, while Gregory's drawings perfectly depict a quirky sense of life's familiarities. Throughout his world travels with The Bouncing Souls, Gregory had his paint pens and sketchbook in hand, incorporating landscapes, cityscapes, people, animals and emotions he felt along the way into his art. "Although it was challenging I loved how these drawings helped me explore the places I visited." Every illustration explodes with color and life and everyone who catches a glimpse seems to get sucked into his vibrant world.

Both Shanti and Gregory are successful, independent artists, so it's no surprise that I Went for a Walk will be published by their own imprint, Hollywood Jersey. Their slogan, "Making something from nothing since 1997" (the year they met) captures the essence of how the pair lives each day: To them, it's the ability to create something beautiful from what appears to be nothing. It's something anyone can do because it's what comes from inside of you! All you need is a little imagination and a lot of determination. Together they explain it as "the ability to create something beautiful from what appears to be nothing. It's something anyone can do because it's what comes from inside of you! All you need is a little imagination and a lot of determination. They are both very excited to enter into the world of children's books, and they plan on visiting schools, libraries and bookstores with guitars in hand to support the release of their creation into the world with music, readings and signings across the country.

Scheduled for release Sept. 19, 2007, you can pre-order your copy of I Went for a Walk to guarantee your copy or look for current appearances around the country at www.iwentforawalk.com or www.myspace.com/iwent4awalk. Also, stay tuned for the English/Spanish Bi-lingual version of I Went for a Walk which is in the works for next year. It's sure to be a useful tool for ESL students in schools and language programs around the world.