About Us
Focus Friends Children's Books & Products, a mom-owned company located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is committed to developing quality books and products for young children, ages 2 to 9, based on unique characters we call Focus Friends.®
Each of the Focus Friends® characters, stories, and products have been created to help parents, caregivers, and teachers entertain young children, while teaching them to develop positive attitudes and thought patterns, enhance creativity, and practice important life skills.
There is nothing more important in life than family, close friends, and a personal connection with all that is beautiful, joyful, wise, inspiring and creative. We encourage parents and teachers to take notice of the kinds of thoughts, emotions, words and habits that our families and children demonstrate.
It is our belief and intention that Focus Friends™ books and products will make a difference in the lives of many families by being a positive daily reminder that, in a significant way, our focus shapes our life experiences.
Lisa Rey Marks
Company Founder & Author
Lisa Marks is a wife, mom, lawyer, entrepreneur, and founder of Focus Friends, LLC.
The concept for Focus Friends®, its books and products, was inspired by Ms. Marks’ pregnancy and the birth of her son. The first stories were written in the middle of the night between the baby’s feedings. Ms. Marks’ writing is also influenced by her faith, as well as her education and work experience.
Ms. Marks received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Spanish from Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania), a Master of Public Administration from Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts), and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago, Illinois).
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Marks worked as a Caseworker in the Social Services Department at the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction in West Boylston, Massachusetts. During law school and after graduation, Ms. Marks gained experience in child welfare law and policy at the Children & Family Justice Center within Northwestern University School of Law’s Bluhm Legal Clinic. Under the guidance of her mentors, she studied and worked on child welfare policy issues and represented children, parents, or grandparents involved in child abuse and neglect proceedings in Chicago’s Juvenile Court or at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
After moving to Colorado in 1998, Ms. Marks became the law clerk for The Honorable William F. Dressel (retired) in Colorado’s Eighth Judicial District. She worked on a variety of criminal, domestic, probate, and child welfare matters. Ms. Marks then entered private law practice, but remained involved in child welfare work by serving on the Board of Directors of the Larimer County Child Advocacy Center located in Fort Collins, Colorado from August 1998 until September 2005.
In 2005, she left the practice of law and resigned from her board position to concentrate on raising her toddler son and launching her company, Focus Friends, LLC. Inspired by her children and the wonderful world of motherhood, Ms. Marks has the vision of making a difference in the lives of children and their families in a positive and creative way.
Ms. Marks currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband Sandy and their two young children.
Eris Klein
Illustrator
Eris Klein has been a freelance illustrator since 1996. She often creates artwork for spiritual and healing arts publishers. She has won several industry awards including the Colorado Independent Publisher’s Award for Best Book Cover and the 2001 EdPress Distinguished Achievement Award. Ms. Klein’s work speaks strongly of her dream life and spirituality. As a fine artist, it has always been Ms. Klein’s dream to illustrate children’s books, and in particular, she had hoped to do it in a positive and meaningful way. Working with Lisa Marks on Joy Is The Greatest Gift and Appreciation Party! has allowed her to do both. To learn more about Ms. Klein’s work, visit her web site at www.erisklein.com.
