The Artist and the Writer Come Together!

1. How did you get started writing for children? I started out making up bedtime stories for my two girls. They’d ask me to tell the same ones over and over again, and I enjoyed it. I thought about writing children’s stories for quite a few years before I actually decided to take the plunge.

2. What is your favorite part of the writing process? My favorite part is when it’s a finished. (hehe!) While that’s true, I do enjoy drawing the pictures when I can do them myself. I’m not an artist, so there are some picture books that continue to float around in my head, because I think, “I can’t draw that!”

3. Do you have an illustrator or do your own art? I did the illustrations for the Hairington books. I had fun doing it, and I drew them exactly how I pictured them in my mind. I did have a story published by ‘Magination Magazine, and the magazine had an illustrator draw the sofa monster, which I could never do. I was pleased with what the artist came up with.

4. What would be one thing you would tell writers wanting to write for children? It may sound easy, but it’s not as simple as you some people think. Kids are fun to write for because they have such wonderful imaginations and love off-the-wall and bizarre characters, but you have to come up with something that sparks their imaginations while being fun to read. You have to think like a kid to write for children.

5. Please share information about your books and what age group? I have the Hairington series of picture books for ages 3 and up.

The Peanut Buttor Tweatment – In this first book, Bub, gets himself into a sticky situation because of his love for Grammy homemade gumballs.

Attack of the Dust Bunnies- Ooops! Dad forgot to clean out the attic like he promised, and now it’s overrun with dust bunnies! They are not dangerous, but these dusty, staticy creatures cling to hair. It's Dr. Follicle and Dust Bunny Dispatch to the rescue!

Sofa Monster, which you can read for free at ‘Magination Magazine online.

Have you wondered what happens to all that stuff you lose in the sofa cushions? Well, Sammy finds out when a monster made of pencils, M&Ms, loose change and other odds and ends come crawling out of the cushions? But, what does this Sofa Monster want?

I also write Kindle short stories for ages 8 and up. I have three books:

Alfred C. Bogeyman- The boogieman comes to Adrian house every night and scares his little brother, so Adrian, his two friends, and Socks—the dog, go out to find the boogie and give him a taste of his own medicine.

Ally Ally Oxen Free- Tom is fascinated with bones, human bones. He wants to study them and gets his chance when Mr. Dukes allows him to dig in the vacant lot behind his store. What Tom unearths makes the neighborhood kids tremble with fear.
"Ally ally oxen free!" These four little words can bring anyone out of hiding.

Mermaid’s Kiss-
Thomas believes in myths and mythological creatures, and when he reads that a mermaid's kiss has the power to heal, he thinks of his bedridden Grandpa. Thomas sets out to catch a mermaid to heal his Grandpa--if they really exist.