I decided to write this series after falling head-over-heels in love with a litter of springer spaniel puppies. It was such a miracle to watch these little darlings develop from the tiniest balls of fur into devilishly cute, active dynamos who wanted to show off everything about who they were becoming. With every day that passed, their personalities blossomed! They were also filling out and becoming irresistible. I was hooked, one hundred percent obsessed!

I realized that stories were brimming in my imagination about them and the troubles they might find themselves in. Puppies are such mischief makers! Just like kids, they have so much to learn. I decided that each of these cuties had a tale to tell, and I couldn't wait to tell it.

 Our little readers will see that the puppies all have unique personalities and journeys. Each puppy finds himself in a scenario  that involves a bit of soul searching. After all, we all need time to contemplate situations before we learn from them. Ultimately, there are lessons to be discovered by both puppy and little readers about values like kindness, respect, patience, and confidence. 

I grew up in the Florida panhandle where my afternoons and summers were spent water skiing with family and friends. There were skiing competitions, ski camps, weekends on the river, and every day practices. When I wasn't skiing, I was reading.  I SO looked forward to book club deliveries and library trips. As I grew older, I read all genres of books, but the simplicity and illustrations in children's books kept them at the top of my favorites.

I went on to graduate from UF with a pharmacy degree. I fell in love, became a military spouse, lived where the Marine Corps sent us, and cultivated wonderful friendships. I have two boys, one who loves to read and one who doesn't (I tried!) They are both so special! I am proud of the incredible people they have grown up to be. 

Eventually, I ended up in Pensacola again. I put down some roots and created a cozy home that I love.  Thinking back,  I can say that my career has kept me busy working in different pharmacies in different cities. I've worked long hours and weekends.  But no matter which cycle I was in my life, all my days concluded with reading. Some days it was two kids and a picture book, others with just me and a book, but ALWAYS with a book.

The other constant in my life has been my true love of dogs. One of my most joyful memories is the day that the boys and I went to Mobile, Alabama to pick up our first springer spaniel. We left the breeder's house with two spotty puppies that day. I came to my senses five seconds later, backed up that driveway, returned the biggest one, and we left for good with our sweet Layla.

Four years and one road trip later, and the Andersons were complete with the addition of our second springer, Bentley. How lucky we were to have two wonderful dogs that filled our home with love.

Our dynamic continued until I was diagnosed with late onset type 1 diabetes. It felt like the worst thing I could've heard at the time, but it opened the door to finding my service dog, Zoe.  I will be forever thankful to the Swift family at Valentine Kennel. I never imagined that I would one day have a dog who understands me so well that she alerts me when my blood sugar is dropping dangerously low. She is a miracle to me.

When the kids moved out and started their adult lives, I realized I needed something new and interesting to think about. I decided to weave my two passions together and made the leap to become a children's book author. How fun it has been to let my mind wander into the easy rhythm of creating a story for a child!

Ernest Hemingway said, "All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they really happened, and after you are finished reading one, you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow."

I hope that the books I've created for young ones will give them the opportunity to feel like something happened to them. My wish is that afterwards, the lessons belong to them. We aren't born knowing respect or kindness or patience or manners. The stories our kids read can help them develop those skills. The Happy Days Puppies series is a great step for young readers on their journey towards becoming respectful, kind adults.