After years of corporate success, career pivots, and personal soul-searching, former Atlantan Danny Blue has turned his journey into inspiration for children and adults with his debut book, “Coalie and the Great Mystery.”
The story written for ages 5 to 12 explores themes of self-confidence, perseverance, and courage. It follows Coalie, a timid boy made of coal, as he searches for the “diamond people” who live “far, far away.” Along the way, he is “taunted and teased,” and the trials he faces help transform his fear into resilience, much like the concept of coal turning into a diamond.
The self-doubt and judgment Coalie experiences mirror what many people, including Blue himself, face in real life, he says.
Blue, who now lives in Southern California, is currently visiting Atlanta and will sign copies of his children’s book on Aug. 9 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at Learning Express Toys and Gifts in Buckhead, located at 4407 Roswell Road.
A native of North Carolina, Blue moved with his family to Atlanta at the age of 8 and later relocated to California after graduating from the University of Georgia in 2003, he said.
After years of corporate success, career pivots, and personal soul-searching, former Atlantan Danny Blue has turned his journey into inspiration for children and adults with his debut book, “Coalie and the Great Mystery.” Illustration by The Ople. (Photo courtesy of Danny Blue.)
The idea for “Coalie and the Great Mystery” emerged through reading children’s books to his 10-year-old twin son and daughter, and from Blue’s own spiritual journey. More than a decade ago, he was thriving in corporate sales, living in a Venice Beach home, and checking all the boxes of outward success. Yet something felt off.
“No matter how hard I tried to stay where I was and keep working my way up the ladder, I wasn’t fulfilled,” Blue said. “And I had this soul calling to find myself.”
That calling led him on an unconventional path — opening a restaurant, starting an apparel business, and collaborating with indigenous artisan communities in Ecuador to sell handmade products that supported rainforest conservation. Along the way, he navigated divorce, health challenges, and a constant search for meaning.
Blue said, that while he felt pressure and stress in his work and relationships, curiosity was also brewing within him.
“I think I developed a pretty intimate relationship with the idea of pressure,” he said. “That is really what started to inform the idea of using this pressure, and allowing pressure to transform coal into a diamond rather than this idea that it … can just break you.”
“Coalie and the Great Mystery” is loosely inspired by the “hero’s journey,” a narrative framework popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell. It also draws inspiration from Blue’s favorite children’s story “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss — which Blue says he still learns from — and even the Disney film, “Moana.”
“I wanted to create something that resonates on different levels,” Blue said. “For kids, it’s about facing fears and believing in themselves. For adults, it’s recognizing that transformation is ongoing — there’s always more to learn and become.”
Through his own transformation and the process of writing the book, Blue says he gained a deeper wisdom about life. It’s about the journey, not the destination.
‘I’ve developed a strong ability to be with life along the way and allow for whatever is happening,” he said. “Whether it’s a beautiful moment that I can feel easy gratitude towards, or if it is a challenging one — I can still come back to knowing that [the moment] is informing something bigger.”
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