From the Author

My love of books started early and blossomed quickly. By the time I was in school, I was often scolded for reading-related infractions…staying up all night to finish a good book, setting the table (or other perilous activities) while reading, or face stuck in a book in lieu of other less compelling things, like homework. I especially loved stories about animals: Black Beauty, Charlotte’s Web, The Yearling, and pretty much anything with a dog.

Fast forward to being a mom, and I wanted to share that love of reading with my own son. Every night before bed was reading time. Whether we were giggling at A Series of Unfortunate Events or marveling at the magical predicaments of Harry Potter, some of my most cherished parenting memories are of those times. There is true joy in observing the magic of books through the eyes of your children, and watching them experience the wonder of new places, people and things as they unfold in a story. The conversations that evolved as a result of those stories opened the doors for deeper connections and an organic sharing of ideas and values.  It was then that the seeds of desire to be a children’s author were planted—I wanted to be a part of that magic between parent and child.

The last straw in fulfilling my author destiny was a little French Bulldog named Soren. One of my other passions is dog agility, and I’d been training and competing for a few years when Soren came along. A French Bulldog seemed an unlikely partner for an athletic sport like agility, but he was one determined little character.

Soren ended up becoming the first dog of his breed ever to earn an AKC Master Agility Championship (MACH). Despite his extra-large head, short legs and stocky frame, Soren managed to achieve the highest levels in the sport.  He did so mostly because it never occurred to him that he could not, and because he loved doing anything and everything with me.  

Soren's heart and determination for everything he did were remarkable, and allowed him to achieve things one would not have thought possible. I adored him. When he passed away, I channeled his determination to write a children’s book about him, and Soaring Soren was born. I hoped his book would not only serve as a tribute to an amazing dog, but that Soren would prove as inspirational as a children's book character as he was in real life, teaching kids the power of believing in yourself and never allowing the opinions of others to limit what you can accomplish.

Soren had a way of taking me on unexpected journeys, and realizing my dream of writing a children’s book turned out to be just the beginning of yet another incredible adventure. Sharing his book with children exceeded my wildest expectations—children connected with him and embraced his message, encouraging them not only to believe in and pursue their own aspirations, but to support the dreams of others as well.

I created Frog Prince Books to continue bringing meaningful books to children. The logo and name are inspired by Soren. Frenchies are often referred to as "frogs" or "frog dogs" and Soren was most certainly a prince among dogs.

I hope that my books will inspire children to be kind to other people and other creatures, to think about things a little differently than they did before, to laugh, to dream their own dreams and make them come true, to believe they can make positive changes in the world, and to discover a lifelong love for reading. To see my books helping make positive changes around the world is most definitely my own dream come true. To my dear little readers and the people who love them, thank you for sharing this incredible journey, and keep reading.