Maryanne Wood is a retired professional dog trainer, and for fifteen years, she taught furry friends to be the best possible dogs and companions they could be. After her sister’s passing, she inherited two dogs that would inspire a children’s book series teaching children how to embrace life’s unexpected changes.
Randall and Hunter were two of her most cherished dogs. They brought so much joy and love into Maryanne’s life. Now, after self-publishing her children’s book series with the help of the selfpublishing.com Author Advantage Accelerator Elite Program, she hopes they can do the same for young ones everywhere.
Book Title: Randall and Hunter Go with the Flow: Two Tails on the Move
Genre: Children’s Book Series
Tell us more about the inspiration behind your children’s book series.
Randall and Hunter were both rescue Basset Hounds that belonged to my sister. She passed away in 2008 from cancer, and before her death, she asked me to take these dogs and care for them. It was an honor and a wonderful gift to give Randall and Hunter a new home.
I also learned a growing capacity for love in the face of loss.
In the last two years, I have been on an intense spiritual journey. During my meditations, Randall and Hunter visited me.
“Mom, you are going to write a book about me and Hunter?”
I knew the idea could wait no longer! They reminded me that I had intended to write a children’s book about them, which I had not yet brought to fruition. The timing of their visit rekindled the idea of a book, which has now turned into a 3-book series.
It has been an immense gift to bring these delightful dogs to the hearts and minds of young readers. And it turned the loss of my sister into a huge opportunity to give.
What age group are your books for?
The target audience and reading level is children from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. But Randall and Hunter’s stories are genuinely suitable for all young children.
They teach how to be more open and adaptable to changing situations. I believe this is a vital lesson – one that’s great to learn as early as you can. It certainly makes the ups and downs of life much easier to accept.
The main themes and teachings in my series include:
- How to build lasting self-confidence
- Lessons on forming new relationships
- Teaching how to be more open and adaptable to inevitable changes as they come along in life
What was it like to share stories about your beloved pets?
The characters I write about are based on my real-life dogs, Randall and Hunter, so the content and stories were already there. I admired their ability to adjust to a new home, the changing seasons – which they had not experienced before – and, ultimately, Hunter’s blindness.
The writing process came easy. The stories in Books 1 and 2 are largely based on true experiences.
I knew these Hounds could teach young children to be more open and accepting of change. Like a river that flows to the ocean, there is no hesitation. The water flows easily.
I did have invaluable support, though. With the help of others in my selfpublishing.com mastermind group, I was encouraged not just to write one children’s book, but to create a series of books. I simply had so much rich material due to these wonderful dogs.
I am so thankful for the support and encouragement I had from my group!
By the time I wrote the third book, I had no doubt that I was heading in a wonderful direction. I was “going with the flow like the river to the ocean.”
My absolute favorite part was seeing Randall and Hunter come alive on the pages of these books.
I felt immense joy in sharing these two wonderful Hounds and the lessons we can learn from them with young children.
I think we all can learn a lot from our canine companions!
What was the hardest part about becoming a self-published author?
I had to settle into the idea that I genuinely had a story worth telling, one that young readers would enjoy and appreciate.
I knew my soul was yearning to express itself through the written word. I had been nudged many times before. As started this process, I had to learn to trust myself and the path I was being led to follow.
I was also forced to look at my resistance to using technology with my limited skill set.
Finally, after I wrote and published the books, I had to face and overcome my aversion to the idea that I would have to market my books – and myself!
It’s an ongoing process, but I now feel like I’m on the way to embracing it all! I’ve promoted the books by doing presentations at schools and libraries. And I plan to keep telling the story of Randall and Hunter for years to come.
Want to learn more about the book writing support, editing services, book coaching, and more Maryanne Wood received as a part of the Author Advantage Accelerator Elite Program? Schedule a consultation today or take the quiz above to find the right program for you and your book!
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