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Steven Ochs, also know as Steve Ouch, was stationed at Offutt AFB and flew on the RC-135 for four years. During those four years he deployed ten times and received multiple medals. He spent his personal down-time creating children’s stories. Ten years of hard work after his honorable discharge, he has published his first book: SteamPotVille.

Ouch joined the Air Force right out of High School. He had no idea how difficult it would be to become a published children’s author and illustrator, but during his enlistment he decided that’s what he would be. He began by working on his bachelors degree in-between deployments at a university outside Offutt Airbase, trying to increase his writing and business skills. Then whenever he had some extra time he worked on writing and illustrating.

“As I was preparing to leave the military I knew I wanted to write and illustrate children’s books but I had no idea how to do it. Building a life to support a dream can be difficult, but the military gave me a great springboard. I used the GI bill to get more training in Photoshop and writing.”

Ouch thought of the concept for SteamPotVille while in the Air Force. Finally, when the economy was at it’s worst Ouch decided he would finish the book and look for a publisher. He spent four months straight working fifteen hours a day on the book before he decided it was ready for publishing.

“It’s the military that taught me the discipline I needed to hang in there to get my first book published. The long missions taught me how to stay focused for a long periods of time.” Ouch says. “Once you have experienced the difficulties of military deployments, you can do almost anything. You just have to decide what it is that you want to do and attack it with the same amount of determination. That’s how it was for me and by the time I knew it I had worked for 10 years to build a niche career. The Air Force helped me out along the way.”

Now Ouch is seeing his dream come true. SteamPotVille is fast becoming a favorite children’s bedtime storyfor families across the nation. The best way to describe the story is as one part “Where’s Waldo?”, two parts “I Spy”, and a dash of Monty Python. Pop them in a blender, hit purée, and you get the topsy turvy world of SteamPotVille.

The story combines fun rhymes with stimulating graphics that children as well as their parents will enjoy reading over and over again. Solving the mystery behind the strange occurrences in the town of SteamPotVille is only half the fun; every page is filled with hidden animals for children to search for.

Ouch encourages young readers to be active and creative, pushing children to look closely at each page and then come up with new stories through examining the topsy-turvy art. SteamPotVille is sure to become a bedtime favorite for its ability to remain fresh and engaging.
Unlike some stories to tell children which children quickly memorize and tire of, SteamPotVille invites young
readers to revisit the story through its vivid images—revealing something new with each and
every read.

About returning to civilian life, Ouch notes “It’s a different world as a civilian. Everyone is so much more relaxed, but you can achieve anything you want out there. Just remember to stay focused and surround yourself with people who support your dream.”

Mr. Ouch was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Seattle, Washington.

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