Q: First tell us something about yourself.
A: I am originally from Teoc, Mississippi. I now live in Cabot, Arkansas and I am an Army Veteran, Wife, Mom of two amazing little girls, Registered Oncology Nurse, and now published children’s author.
Q: When did your journey start as a writer?
A: My journey as a writer started as a kid when my father was sick. I used writing poetry and stories as a way to escape from the reality that my father was not going to get better. I put down writing after he passed, but picked it back up in the Fall of 2023 when I wrote my first children’s book, The Mysterious Smell That Didn’t Sit So Well.
Q: When did you write your first story? Is it published or not?
A: I wrote my first story in the Fall of 2023 and it was published in January 2024. My second one was published in April of 2024.
Q: Tell us something more about your books.
A: My books are relatable to people who have children, pets, or just everyday life. My first two children’s books are rhyming books meant to help children learn to read, identify rhymes, and learn about their senses in a fun way while using their critical thinking skills. A thing that sets my books apart is that they have plot twists that help develop those critical thinking skills early while solving funny mysteries. The books are colorful and keep kids engaged.
Q: How did these stories and characters come to your mind?
A: The books are based on my own little family and our family pets. It makes the stories more relatable to have them based on a real family with adding some fun imagination in them as well. The first book started because my oldest child left her cereal bowl in the sink without rinsing it out or using the disposal. She had placed something on top of it and I was working nights at the hospital at the time, so when I came home, I smelt a horrible smell and spent a while looking for it. It gave me an idea for a story, so I sat down and within a few hours, I had my first children’s book. I decided to make it a series, so The Mysterious Taste, But I’m Not Supposed To Waste was next because my oldest daughter, again, can be a picky eater. I decided to explore it through the mind and imagination of a child and the reasons why she might not want to eat the food she was given. I will finish up this series with the other three senses, but have a few stand alone books coming out as well, like my third children’s book coming out soon, A Dog Named Kitty.
Q: Do you want to leave any message for your readers?
A: Reading is an adventure and can be fun. It can be your escape and your safe place. Reading is a passport to endless possibilities. I encourage each of my readers to embrace life and see where it can take them, because it doesn’t matter where you came from, it matters where you decide to go!
