As I stepped back to decide how to proceed with R.J's Story, which seemed to be hanging in an audience neverland, I suddenly felt the deadline of Heaven's Wait's trademark completion looming large. Two years had already passed since I had first applied for the trademark, and there were still no products to show that Heaven's Wait was actively involved in "commerce," which was a requirement for securing the mark. I had no idea how long it would take for R.J.'s Story to become a printed good, and I hadn't even begun to develop accompanying products that were part of my long-term vision--bookmarks, greeting cards, cookbooks, diaries, and music/activity CDs that followed the Heaven's Wait theme. If I didn't develop some of these items and get them into the marketplace within the next year, I would lose the trademark on the name. After all the time, effort and extension fees I had poured into this project, I knew I needed to do something to complete the process.
The problem was that I didn't want to expose my unique, original characters to the world before the initial story was published. What a spoiler that would be! The personalities, creatures and otherworldly elements that were so endearing to me would have no meaning to anyone else if they were to suddenly appear on randomly presented products.
After many a discussion with my trusty Heaven's Wait consultant (my son Mark), we came up with a solution. Mark suggested I create a line of characters that live somewhere else in Heaven's Wait, simple creatures that have no connection to my stories. They could be introduced to the world without jeopardizing my original vision, and the products designed around them would satisfy the requirements of the Trademark Office.
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