Sandy Claws and the Forever Home follows an elderly shelter dog whose fading belief in a magical Christmas rescuer becomes a lesson in faith, friendship, and the possibility that an overlooked dog and a lonely senior might become family. What inspired you to write this story?

I was inspired for the most part by a program at dog pounds for which I am an open advocate. The “Seniors for Seniors” program doesn’t get enough of it’s rightful spotlight. It allows senior citizens to adopt senior dogs at no cost. I’ve often found that an animal’s companionship, fights not only loneliness but anxiety, grief and solitude.

To be fair, I adopted “Saddie” the dog that I painted on the book cover many years before. She’d been in the pound 7 out of her 9 years of life. She was inspirational in her capacity for love. I feel that is because she’d never had an opportunity to show her true self before that.

How did you balance the book’s playful canine language and humor with heavier subjects such as grief, illness, rejection, and aging?​

For me that is the easiest part. I am quite old and a bit of a nut. This work though, was one of the few that just poured out onto every page. It was an absolute joy to write.

Was Xander’s relationship with Marley based on a particular animal, person, or experience in your life?​

In a way. Our precious puppy Xander was only with us a few weeks before he succumbed to some very serious health issues. Yet if you were to ask me, even in my darkest grief if I regretted adopting him, my answer would be a loudly resounding, “No.” You see he was surrounded in his last hour by people who loved him completely. I was so grateful for that.

What do you hope readers will learn about senior-pet adoption and the emotional lives of animals waiting for homes?

The book was written in the hopes that if people are unable to adopt, they will still take action. Volunteering time or money makes a huge difference, not just to the pounds but to the dogs. Our fur-babies think we are heroes. It’s time to become one.

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