For Bermudian writer Andrea Hassell it's certainly true that when one doors closes, another opens.

In 2008, the door closing for her was that of the Department of Tourism New York Office where she had worked for nearly three years. She was one of several Bermudians who lost their jobs with only five weeks notice when an American firm took over.

"I decided to devote myself to finishing my masters degree in elementary education at Dowling College, in Long Island," said Mrs. Hassell, who lives with her husband, Terry, and three children in Queens, New York.

And this opened many doors for her, including an unexpected career in writing for children.

Her first book 'Anthony, the Ant' is available now in local bookstores. "'Anthony, the Ant' started out as a project in a college creative art class, four years ago," she said. "But I'm the only one in the class who actually published the book. The college featured me in their alumni magazine."

'Anthony, the Ant' is meant to be a character development book. "It is about getting kids to follow through with their goals," said Mrs. Hassell. "A lot of times kids pick up things, like music lessons or tennis lessons, and then don't finish."

But she said finishing what you started was such an important lesson in life.

"Even in terms of their education they need to buckle down and make sure that they finish," she said. "I have three kids Teniko, TeAnn and Tenae, ages 21, 15 and 14."

She said that when her kids say they want to join something, she makes sure they know what is involved first.

"They have to have that commitment level," she said. "The deal is, if I am willing to sacrifice and take them to rehearsals, they have to have a good work ethic ."

She said education had changed a lot in the last couple of decades. Now there are more demands on kids than ever before.

"For me homework was a little worksheet or something, but now it is assigned as early as kindergarten," she said. "There are a lot more demands on our children at home. And there are a lot more afterschool activities."

She said she grew up in Bermuda, not always having to do things 24/7. "Sometimes as a kid you could do nothing and enjoy that space of nothing by reading a book, or taking time to just relax."

In the story, Anthony the Ant is on his way to eat cherries with his friend when he is swept into a river. He climbs onto a leaf, but the leaf sinks. He then climbs onto a log, to take him across.

But if he is going to survive to eat those cherries he needs to follow the three Fs "faith, focus and follow-through".

"That is life," said Mrs. Hassell. "To finish my education it wasn't straight sailing. You go through some challenges. In order for me to graduate I had to remain focused." She graduated this year.

One of the biggest challenges, she said, was the commute.

"I used to live out on Long Island, but then I moved to Queens," she said. "It was an hour drive one way. When I was working in the city, I would leave the city to come by train to pick up my car and then drive an hour. So it was almost a two hour commute to go to school."

She is currently teaching in the public school system in New York and said she would like to return to Bermuda to teach.

"I did feel let down when we were made redundant. We were like a family. You build relationships with people. Most of us were away from our families."

She said her situation was different from some other people there in that she was already living in the United States prior to going to work at the Department of Tourism office.

She moved there because her husband, Terry, got a job as a pastor in a church in New York.

'Anthony, the Ant' is available at Brown & Co, The Aquarium, True Reflections, Bermuda Bookstore and Caesar's Pharmacy.

"I did a book signing at Brown & Co this summer when I was home," she said. "I was on the radio as well. I did a book reading at the library. It is available at the Youth Library on Church Street."

She self-published the book through a publishing company called XLibris.

"I chose them because what they offered in their package, wasn't just publishing," she said. "They created my website. They did my book design. They did the press release, and other things."

She said it was a new venture for her and she wasn't sure at first how it was going to go. But clearly, it went well, because she is already working on her second book in the series called 'Betty, the Bee'.

In this book, 'Betty, the Bee' aims to be president of the beehive.

"My books are going to be boy girl, boy girl. And also insects," she said.

She found illustrator Hanna Butzlaff through a website called www.guru.com.

"The site advertises freelance writers and illustrators," said Mrs. Hassell. "This lady worked out of London. I have never met her before. Within three days she had my illustrations for me. She sent me materials."

For more information about Mrs. Hassell's book go to www.Thebutterflyseries.com.