Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?

Author: I love mysteries, I always have. I think I read every one of the Nancy Drew mysteries as a child, some of them twice!  I also love dogs, so to me a book where the dogs are detectives and solve mysteries, just seemed natural.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did the book take you from start to finish?

Author: The book took me about maybe three months to write and edit completely.  I wrote it as an assignment for a writer’s correspondence class I was taking.  The teacher loved it and suggested I submit it to be published.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?

Author: Finding the ending to the mystery.  I knew from the start that there would be a mystery and that there were animals meeting in the backyard.  I knew how Penny would discover what they were up to.  It took me a little longer to figure out what they animals were going to do.  I had to think in terms of the animal characters I had and then come up with something they realistically would want to do.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about the book writing process?

Author: How long it can take to get your manuscript published.  It took me two years, with many rejections before I got this book published.  Of course, seeing it in print made all the time waiting seem like nothing.  But it is still amazing to me how difficult it is to get your work in front of editors.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?

Author: I based my main characters on two of my former dogs, Penny and Rio.  They have since passed on from old age, and it is wonderful for me to continue to write about them.  It keeps their memories alive.

I also enjoyed how excited my children were to read about their pets.  It was neat to see them think about what Penny and Rio would do in certain situations.  We had many a dinner discussions about how the two dogs would behave when faced with a mystery.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?

Author: I hope they simply enjoy it.  I hope they like the characters of Penny and Rio and become enamored of their antics.  There is a message or two in the book.  One is to not judge others based on your pre-conceived ideas.  The second message is that people should take care of their pets and not just give them away if they become difficult to care for.  I am a huge advocate of adopting pets and hope that people will see that adopted animals can make just as great pets as purchased ones.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What projects are you currently working on?

Author: I have finished the final edits on the second Penny and Rio book.  It will hopefully be out this fall.  It will be called Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse. Penny and Rio will help solve another mystery, this one with the small mouse at the end of book one.

In addition, I am currently finishing up a mid-grade novel.  It will also be a mystery, this time about four girls; perhaps reminiscent of the Nancy Drew books.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?

Author: I am a middle school science teacher.  I teach gifted students science online through Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth.  I am also a wife and mother of three very active children, which takes up a lot of my time.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?

Author: For this book, I didn’t do a lot of research.  I looked up how dogs behave and the activities of groundhogs and squirrels, just to be accurate.  Mostly, I relied on the original Penny and Rio for a lot of the plot.  The real-life dogs acted a lot like the characters in the book. In fact, my real dog, Penny, did dig out a flower planter and used to sit in it for hours.  I have that picture taped to my desk. That’s where I got the idea for the story.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you come up with your title?

Author: My title was easy.  The biggest mystery a dog could solve would be a secret meeting going on in their back yard.  It would also be the most important to them, as most dogs are very territorial and wouldn’t want a bunch of animals meeting in their backyard without their knowledge.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What books have influenced you the most?

Author: As I have mentioned above, Nancy Drew mysteries have had a great influence on my writing.  I love all mysteries and read a couple of books a week.  J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is simply spectacular.  Her life story actually spurred me on to submitting my manuscript.  It’s hard to pick specific books, since I read so much. Everything I read influences me to some extent.  Our house is filled with books, we have more than can fit in our bookshelves.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?

Author: My publisher is Mirror Publishing.  It is a small press located in Madison Wisconsin. The publisher, Neal Wooten is very knowledgeable and great to work with.  I chose Neal because he specializes in children’s books and has a great graphics department.

To learn more about the Author and book please visit: Penny and Rio