Q: First, tell us something about yourself.
My name is Jill “Bubbles” Marks and I am a wife and mother to two children. Sadly, we lost our son, Guy, about 8 years ago and I went to the Denver Animal Shelter and picked up a rescue dog I named Princess Buttercup. She has been my constant companion and emotional support dog for the last 8 years. I have been trying to find a way to honor my son so, a portion of the proceeds from these books will be donated to Suicide Prevention and Awareness charities in his name. He is in the books and will now live forever in the literary world.
Q: How and when did your journey start as a writer?
I have always been good with words. My mother was a technical writer and editor for most of my life and I was proofreading documents at the age of 10. I am an avid reader and have always dreamed of writing for the public.
Q: When did you write your first story? Is it published or not?
I wrote my first story, The Travels of Princess Buttercup and Westley: Bye-Bye to New York, in February 2024. It is based on a trip my family and I took to New York. It was published on Amazon in July 2024.
Q: Tell us something more about your books.
These books are labors of love that are based in fact but are a lot more fun and educational. My family and my dogs are featured in them and will be going on lots of adventures. I tend to use big words so I created what I call “big word bubbles” – the big words are highlighted and the dogs define them in the margins so the child can learn what it means right away, instead of having to ask.
Q: How did these stories and characters come to your mind?
I had a dream about my kids one night and woke up the next morning with this idea in my head. I grabbed a spiral notebook and a pen and just started writing. 5 hours later, it was done! It was the strangest thing!
Q: Do you want to leave any message for your readers?
Read, travel, and learn! Some of my greatest memories and learning experiences have come from traveling, learning about other cultures, and using my imagination!
