Cheers to Midnight Garden Publishing House For Turning ONE!!!!

We crossed the first year finish line on June 27th, 2026 and WOW has it been a long distance race to get to this celebratory tea at Tailleur, a classic Parisian-inspired bistro in Midtown, KC. Cheers to everyone who has helped get us through our first year of business! Patricia and I enjoyed patting ourselves on the back for all of our hard work and delighted in delicious pastries, delectable desserts and sandwiches.

Below: Patricia Hartman, COE of MIdnight Garden Publishing triumphantly smiles for the camera on the First Anniversary of Midnight Garden Publishing House LLC

We enjoyed an afternoon walking around the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Taking in local artists helped inspire and motivate us to bring more Kansas City art into our publishing company and personal lives. It was the perfect background setting to imagine what we would be doing this next year and dare to dream about where we will be with hard work and perseverance.

Below: One of the many art displays at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

I am so proud of our Editor in Chief for all of the personal growth she has had this last year. She started out on new shaky ground and has ended this year walking toward a post graduate collaborative L.E.N.D. program with KU, to truly set our children’ line, BushBerry Books, up for inclusivity, education, and advocacy. She has shined working with our clients, taken on managing two new editors, overseen our Newsletter “Conversations Across the Garden Gate” ensuring quality articles from everyone who contributes. She has become the phoenix, we have all known she had been. I could not be more proud and excited to continue to work with her as a business partner and friend.

Patricia Hartman and Mindy McVay celebrating one year of amazing business growth and success.

We popped up to the Plaza to eat at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We shared plates and our dreams about where we want to grow the company next year.

After Dinner, we decided to stop in to pick on our Scifi author client, Jeff Knoblauch, during one of his book signing events at Gilded Pages Bookstore!

Sharing our celebration day with him was so special as Jeff is our Alpha client and has stepped alongside us this entire year. It was a blissful day of celebration, excitement, and art and we can’t wait for our second year’s celebration already.

While we spent a wonderful day immersing ourselves in art and culture we also looked back on everything we did this last year and how much we have grown from our first event popping up at a Kathy Coates Event’s and Mo’s Sophisticated Event’s pop up festival at Hometown Olathe Family Farm for Sip n’ Sunshine. We are amazed by the community we have found with Midnight Garden Publishing and Writers in Residence, our Open Mic & Slam Poetry Competition nights, and the amount of unbelievable Kansas City entrepreneurs that we have collaborated with this year.

Jeff Knoblauch, local KC sci-fi author playfully hides behind his book with Mindy McVay, Founder / CEO of Midnight Garden Publishing proudly stands beside her client.

We wouldn’t have been able to have networked without the Kaufman’s One Million Cups organization, the connections we have made through Kathy Coates’ Knowledge Network, or the amazing clients we have worked with this past year. We truly appreciate the event spaces who have welcomed us into their arms. The Hometown Olathe Family Farm always has a welcoming smile for us on our third Saturday event.

Pink Blazer Co’s, Founder / CEO, Izsie Robinson has been an amazing collaborative partner, submitting articles to our blog and even Guest Hosting some of our Slam Poetry and Open Mic Nights, when I was sick or had poison ivy in the last couple of months.

We will be seeing more of her in our upcoming Podcast “Words in the Weeds” in a cross podcasting series that showcases KC Authors, Artists, Entrepreneurs and other amazing guests The Interurban Arthouse has inspired us with all of the artwork from their community surrounding our fourth Friday writers group (Day and Times set to change in August and will be posted when we have figured out the new day.) The Hotel Marriott KC Tap & Table restaurant crew are so kind and amazing. We are currently growing our Writers In Residence spaces to Afterword Tavern & Shelves every 4th Monday of the month from 4pm-6:30pm with the Afterword open Mic night hosted by the Lovely Christi Clemons Hoffman, a KC bestselling author and Podcast.

I know there is a dozen other businesses that I haven’t mentioned, Just One Day Tours with Sherrie Ortiz, Westport Center for the Arts, The Empower Network, KC Disability Collaborative, and Railroad Sock LLC, and the list is ever growing

As for myself, I am so proud and realize now that even if I fall on my face due to sickness. I can pick myself back up and continuing to build this company. I also learnt to acknowledge that no one learns without mistakes and that I am surrounded by an intentional community who cares. Thus ensuring that the dreams and goals that I set for myself and this company come to fruition. To grow a community that supports not just Independent authors, artists, entrepreneurs, but also supports Kansas City Communities and our own business. I have spent the year understanding my boundaries as well as where I can grow myself to show up for our clients, community, and myself. I am stepping up to the mic, the public speaking stage, and in our community with more grace, understanding, and determination. We have planted seeds of hope and promise this year and watched our foundation grow to build upon in the years to come. Welcome to the second year of the Midnight Garden. Season two begins now.