The
Case of Missing Max
looks like a great start to a wonderful children's series. How far
along is book two?
I have
the story for the book two already outlined. I have written the first
chapter,
and I am eager to continue writing. I expect the second book to be a
little longer than the first one as the adventure will be a little
more challenging for my canine protagonists.
What
do you think makes a great children's book?
For
me,
it is the story, how the story is
presented
and the moral of the story. I love classic fairytales because they
hold the wisdom of people. A great children’s book is precious
because it spreads the knowledge about life which is
given
to the children who read it. Of course,
I should not forget about illustrations that compliment a book.
What
inspired you when writing The
Case of Missing Max?
I
have five dogs and a ten-year-old daughter. They have been an endless
source of inspiration for the dog’s point of view in which the
story is
written.
What
are your ambitions for your writing career? Full time? Part
time?
I
am the happiest person when I can surround myself with books. I write
and work on my books full time. I also homeschool my daughter
so it feels like having two full
time
jobs. I feel blessed because for the most part
I enjoy doing both.
When
did you decide to become a writer?
I
don’t even remember. By the time I was in a kindergarten,
I wanted to be a writer and illustrator. However, it took me until I
was forty years old to publish my first book.
When
writing The
Case of Missing Max
did anything stand
out as particularly challenging?
Writing
a book is always challenging, but it is an exciting challenge. In
this series,
the most challenging thing was and will continue to be telling the
story from
the point of view of
Gr. Acie who tells us about the adventurous protagonist Bella. If
Acie doesn’t see the action, she can’t tell us about it. Since
both dogs live in different homes,
I need to be able to create situations for them to experience things
together.
How
did you come up with the story of The
Case of Missing Max?
I
wanted to write a book for children to have it as a part of
homeschooling my daughter. She was my first beta reader and my
biggest fan. Having five dogs as well as many other pets I used to
make my daughter laugh by putting words in their mouth since she was
a child. I knew I wanted to write a book from a dog’s point of
view. I came up with the story during a hike with my daughter and the
other furry kids.
What
do you like to do when not writing?
I
enjoy reading or listening to books. I try to spend a lot of time in
nature and be physically active. I live on a ranch with my family
which gives me a great opportunity for both.
I
love to hear from the readers! Anyone can find my author and personal
pages on Facebook and other social media. I try to respond to every
reader who contacts me. Anyone can find my books on Amazon. The
audiobooks are also available on Audible and iTunes.