Sixty Seconds with My Dog is a moving middle-grade novel about a grieving twelve-year-old who gets a magical chance to talk to her dog for sixty seconds, forcing her to confront what truly matters. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Like many Americans, our family got a dog during the 2020 Covid pandemic. I was not working at the time so training largely fell to me. I was not very good at it and I would often look into the big brown benevolent eyes of our dog and think to myself how great it would be if we could talk to each other. From there it evolved into thinking that it’d be an interesting book idea if you constrained the time period to just one minute.

Dudley is a fantastic character. Were there any real-life dog inspirations or specific Goldendoodle traits that you drew upon to create him?

The inspiration was largely my Havapoo Phoebe, but also from other dogs such as the Bernese Mountain Dog I grew up with, who very much reminded me of the Saint Bernard used in Beethoven. The goldens I’ve known have always been big, friendly, and loving dogs which is why I selected the breed for the story.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I really wanted to focus on the importance of “needs” vs “wants.” I believe that this is a struggle people deal with their entire lives and never fully master. Generally, adults are better than children at recognizing the importance of focusing on getting what they need over what they want but it’s a lesson worth repeating. Ultimately there is no greater need in life than the love of family and friends and I wanted to show that when times are tough and everything is seemingly going against you, you can always turn to your family and friends for support to see you through.

I also wanted to get people thinking about their loved ones and what they might say to them if they had just one more minute to speak with them.

What message or feeling do you most hope readers take away from Sixty Seconds with My Dog?

I want them to root for Phoebe and her redemption. To remember that family will always be there for you. And of course, to remember that there’s little better than the love of a dog.

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon