Official 5-star Review
Kindle edition on Amazon
******************************************************************************************************************
1. Tell me about yourself.
I grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania as a baby-boomer loving to sing in church, school and solos. Then, I went the safe route through marriage and two kids and housewife-y stuff. We moved to Central PA back in 1978 and I went into the workforce, eventually being in real estate in various capacities for thirty four years.
My driving force at that time was a neighbor who brought me into the real estate business and inspired me to go on my own and start a Buyers Agency back when buyer representation was being born.
2. Let's talk about your book Mr. McTavish Goes to the Library. What inspired you to write it?
As a retired widow and working part-time as a hostess at a prominent restaurant when Covid hit, I was put on furlough and was sitting around thinking a lot to myself.
One day I started to remember an encounter I had with an online organization called DonorsChoose.org. They had contacted me just after I had returned from a trip for my fiftieth High School Reunion and said they had a teacher in an elementary school from my old school district who was looking for funds to purchase a charging cart for her elementary school children to charge their iPads overnight. They couldn't take them home, and they spent so much time at the end of their day just running around searching for outlets to plug in. The online organization finds funds for teachers all over America, with needs to fill, replace or repair things for their classrooms that couldn't be funded by any other means.
After I gave this teacher the full amount that she needed and received a very nice thank you through the online communications, I was totally floored six months later, when I received a thick envelope with over fifty hand-made thank you pictures and notes from this teachers' students, thanking me for helping with the purchase of the charging cart. I mentioned to her, in my second thank you, that I would hope to one day soon get back to her area and stop by and visit with her and the children.
That was back in 2019. I also had hoped to take my Scotty Dog, named McTavish, with me to meet the children.
But later that year my McTavish passed away after almost twelve years of being my beloved buddy. He was exceptionally good with children and rarely barked at anything.
So, sitting alone at home with a Pandemic in full swing, I got to thinking about what our trip would have been like to visit the children and school back home. Which led me to think about writing it down as a children's book for ages two to nine or so. I was a novice at writing, but you know most people say they have a book they would like to write but never got to it yet. I still have that book in my head but thought putting a story about a cute little dog character like Mr. McTavish together with the children thanking Gma (the owner) and Mr. McTavish at their school was a really good start to a new character that children don't seem to have these days like my generation with Lassie and Rin Tin Tin, or Benji and Beethoven for my children. There are way too many digital characters that don't really signify a real dog. Giving the dog the title of Mr. is to show a young child they need to respect the dog as more than just something to cuddle.
I found an online publisher that also had an extensive list of illustrators I could choose from. With their help, I have learned many new things about writing and pictures and marketing that I hadn't dreamed about but now fully embrace.
3. What part of the book was the most fun to write? What was the hardest?
The most fun thing about writing the book was bringing back all the fun memories I had with my 'Tavi', as I called my McTavish, his anticks and the cute wiggle he had when I followed behind him. Loving to play in snow or running into children at the park who got to know him and looked forward to letting him pet them and give them a kiss.
But having a Scottish Terrier as the main character of the book presented its own problems with the illustrators and what a Scottish Terrier actually looks like. We finally got him looking like a Scot after several tries.
4. Can you tell us a little bit about the illustration process?
The illustration process came about after a number of trial and errors to get the ears broader and the beard wider and longer than say a Schnauzer. But I worked closely with the illustrator to bring in mostly bright colors that children see first when searching for a book on a shelf or in a stack.
5. What do you want readers to learn from this story?
I hope that all my books show kindness, respect, gratitude and of course love.
6. Are there any more Mr. McTavish books in the works?
There are two more Mr. McTavish books called Mr. McTavish Goes to the Hospital about a Children's Hospital and Mr. McTavish Goes to the Community Park, where Gma and her friends build and dedicate a new snack bar as the Mr. McTavish Goody Bar with a fountain along the side made out of a downspout to let any animal come and drink.
There is a fourth book in the works at this time about a Bench. Can't give too much away about that. Later there will be an adventure with a butterfly garden and an Eagle Scout.
I like to end with fun questions.
7. Have your pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
Since I started writing the first book, without Tavi, I acquired some Budgie Birds. Parakeets are funny, noisy and company to talk with. They get my voice working early in the morning. My one regret is now I'm too old to try starting with a puppy again to have a new Tavi. I'll just keep his memory going with the books.
8. Is a hot dog a sandwich?
I vote yes to sandwich for the hot dog. Hamburgers are a hot sandwich too.
9. If you could, would you go to outer space?
Outer Space? Nah, never thought about that one.
10. What is your favorite time of year?
I know most people say spring because everything is warming up again after a long hard winter. Rebirth! But I always enjoyed fall the most. I love the warm days and cooler nights but not cold yet. Great for the football that I have always enjoyed.
