Blog Archives
The True Gift of Christmas
Clancy is a heartwarming children’s Christmas story about an anxious camel who learns to face his insecurities, embrace his uniqueness, and discover the courage to take part in something special. What draws you to write children’s literature?
When I was young, my grandmother often read Dr. Seuss’ books aloud, and I found myself mesmerized by the melody of the words and the way they bounced off the page. I knew that if I ever wrote a children’s book, I would write in poetic meter and use words that were a little bit of a challenge for the intended age range. This approach naturally invites conversation between the reader and the child, just like Dr. Seuss’ books did for my grandmother and me. When I began writing Clancy, that famous anapestic tetrameter started to flow through me. (One of my favorite examples of this style is Dr. Seuss’ I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew). Advancing a story in twenty-four-syllable stanzas while sustaining the rhyme scheme brings me irrational levels of joy. If I hit a roadblock, I maneuver the words and count out the beats like solving some sort of musical jigsaw puzzle. Clancy and the cast of Cameltown’s characters wouldn’t be the same any other way.
Clancy worries about his crooked hump, awkward knees, unruly hair, and troublesome tooth. Why did you choose these specific insecurities to shape his character?
I wanted Clancy to struggle with characteristics that were common to all camels. If you look at a group of camels, you’ll notice they all have imperfect humps, knobby knees, wild tufts of hair on their heads, and not a single one of them has straight teeth. Yet Clancy was convinced that he was alone in his imperfections. In reality, we’re all a little bit like Clancy. None of us is perfect, but we tend to put our own flaws under the magnifying glass. Sadly, children begin to internalize their insecurities as early as age five. When focusing on their own perceived shortcomings, children tend to develop feelings of unworthiness, which can cause them to pull away and create a deeply ingrained negative self-image.
This is why the role of a trusted adult confidant is so important in a child’s life. This caring adult doesn’t “fix” the problem; they guide the child through it. In Clancy’s case, this adult confidant was Mayor Camello. The mayor gave Clancy his undivided attention, shared his vulnerability by disclosing his own past struggles, and encouraged Clancy to pray.
Christian faith plays a central role in the book. How did your own beliefs influence the story’s messages about worry, trust, and belonging?
As a Christian, when I feel overwhelmed, I’m reminded to cast my anxieties on God, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
Clancy was so fixated on his own insecurities that anxiety took hold of him. He forgot that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). God loves us so dearly that He delights in using us, flaws and all, for things greater than we could ever imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9).
If readers take away one lasting message from Clancy’s Christmas journey, what would you most want it to be?
Christmas has become such a commercialized holiday that we often lose sight of why we’re even celebrating. The same reminder Clancy receives is the very one we all need: the true Gift of Christmas is Jesus. He was born, died, and, as evidenced by the hundreds of documented witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6), was resurrected to life as an eternal sacrifice for our sins. All He asks is that we believe.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Instagram | Amazon
Written in playful, bouncing rhymes, Clancy is a timelessly whimsical, read-aloud storybook. Through the heart of a timid camel, we discover that when we cast our burdens on the Lord, He helps us to overcome our fears and insecurities with confidence. With vibrant characters wrapped up in an engaging gospel message, Clancy captivates children ages 1-100.
Clancy: A Gift of Christmas Story
A.K. Miller’s Clancy is a children’s book about the uneasy feeling of being asked to do something special when you’re convinced you don’t belong. In bustling Cameltown, preparations for a Christmas production bring plenty of excitement, but Clancy’s attention keeps returning to his crooked hump, awkward knees, unruly hair, and troublesome tooth. He’s an easy character to care about because his worries are so specific. Children who’ve felt uncomfortable with their appearance or nervous about speaking in front of others will recognize something familiar in this anxious camel, even with all the festive silliness around him.
Miller tells the story in rhyming verse, giving Cameltown a chatty, slightly goofy vocabulary of its own. The invented camel expressions and playful names are fun to say aloud, and they give the town a personality that extends beyond its central character. There’s a lively contrast between the crowd’s excitement and Clancy’s private uncertainty, which helps the emotional thread stand out. Some lines invite a little adjustment in pace when read aloud, especially where the phrasing gets elaborate, but the short stanzas offer useful breathing room. It’s a story that benefits from a reader willing to enjoy the sounds and give the characters distinct voices.
William “Bubba” Flint’s illustrations bring a great deal of humor and feeling to this picture book. The camels have wonderfully expressive faces, with large eyes, toothy grins, raised brows, and drooping mouths that make their moods easy to read. Clancy’s curled forelock and uneven smile give him an immediately recognizable look. Loose washes of turquoise, green, yellow, and orange sit behind bold, sketchy outlines, creating pages that feel bright and lively. Christmas trees, wreaths, ribbons, confetti, and a splendid top hat provide plenty for children to notice. I especially like how Clancy’s posture and expression communicate his discomfort, giving young listeners a way into his feelings through the pictures.
The book’s Christian faith is central to its treatment of worry, belonging, and Christmas. Prayer and trust in God shape the conversations, and the religious language is direct enough for families to discuss together. The mayor’s patient attention is particularly appealing: he listens to Clancy’s concerns and speaks from personal experience, making their exchange feel caring and personal. There’s room here to ask children what makes them nervous, whom they can talk to, and how faith fits into those feelings. For families seeking a Christmas read with explicit Christian teaching, an affectionate animal cast, and colorful illustrations, Clancy offers plenty to share during a quiet reading session together.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B0HDNTLP25
Her Capacity For Love
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.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Every Christmas, he tells the furry-tail of Sandy Claws, the legendary black lab who chases the sacred Frisbee of Freedom across the beach and flies through the skies helping people find their forever dogs.
One by one, Xander watches his friends leave the shelter for loving homes. Though happy for them, he wonders if anyone will ever choose an old dog like him.
Then, during his darkest night, Xander meets a star named Bethlehem that tells him about miracles.
.
Can Xander finally find a forever home after ten long years in the pound?
Filled with silly doggy Christmas carols, canine humor, heartwarming friendships, and messages of faith, Sandy Claws and the Forever Home is a touching Christian middle-grade story about hope, love, and the miracle of being chosen.
Inspired by real Seniors for Seniors adoption programs, the story also teaches children about dog behavior, body language, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Ex-Mas Song
Ex-Mas Song follows Justin R., a man who survives a suicide attempt during a snowstorm and wakes into a Christmas-haunted reckoning with his failures, his toxic attachment to Blair, his fractured family life, and his need for recovery. The novel moves through a psychiatric ward, painful memory, spiritual confrontation, and Dickensian visitations until Christmas becomes less a holiday than an autopsy of the heart, and, finally, a chance to choose life.
I found the book emotionally raw in a way that feels deliberately unpolished at the edges. Justin’s voice is funny, bitter, wounded, and frequently self-lacerating; he jokes because the alternative is to collapse. The Christmas references pile up almost like snowdrifts, songs, sweets, movies, scripture, old family rituals, and that abundance gives the novel its strange pulse. It can be messy, but the mess has intention. The story understands that despair is rarely neat, and recovery often begins in the least ceremonial places: an ER curtain, a locked ward, a stale room, a remembered plate of fudge.
I liked the way the book refuses to make healing sentimental. Blair isn’t simply a villain, Justin isn’t simply a victim, and the psychiatric ward is not merely a setting for misery. Everyone is carrying some private corrosion. The Christian framework is explicit and central, but the strongest moments are not sermons; they are moments of recognition, when Justin sees how much of his life has been governed by appetite, fear, resentment, and bad bargains. The prose can swing from comic riff to apocalyptic vision in a single breath, and while that tonal volatility may not suit every reader, it gives the book a feverish, singular energy.
This book is best for readers of Christian fiction, inspirational fiction, and contemporary spiritual drama, especially those who appreciate stories about suicide recovery, addiction, toxic relationships, forgiveness, and faith-based transformation. Readers who love A Christmas Carol will recognize the structure immediately, though this feels closer in grit and confession to a recovery-room answer to Dickens than a cozy retelling. Ex-Mas Song is a bruised Christmas carol for anyone who has mistaken survival for defeat.
Pages: 486 | ASIN : B0CNJKZJ3F
Innate Character
The Man Who Obviated Christmas follows a lonely, aging catalog manager whose comic Christmas Eve misadventure with two stranded kittens leads him toward an unexpected late-life reckoning. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Last autumn, I decided to send a Christmas story instead of a greeting card to a few of my old friends. The idea was for an anti-Santa Claus figure. The cat rescue was the result. Edward had the proportions of Santa, was dressed in black, climbed a ladder instead of sliding down a chimney, was gruff to children, and yet brought them joy and gave away all his money for presents. After Christmas, I found that I was still intrigued with Edward and Kleo. They were live characters. For me, once I get a couple of live characters, the book has basically been written, I sit back and watch and record. So Christmas became the backdrop, the mood, the tint.
Edward Brash is often vain, fussy, and ridiculous, yet deeply sympathetic. How did you balance his comic flaws with his emotional vulnerability?
Social isolation can induce all of those flaws. But loss doesn’t necessarily affect a person’s innate character. Inwardly, Edward was still the raw kid who wound up for one magical year with a beautiful, sophisticated wife. In self-induced mourning for three decades, he has grown a skin, but in his mind, he could toss all the years away and would again magically become slim if Autumn walked through the door.
Why did Christmas feel like the right setting for Edward’s story, especially given the novel’s resistance to easy sentimentality?
See above. Also, this is a story set intentionally in black and white. What could be more black and white than a cold Christmas Eve or a rainy New Year’s Eve?
Kleo is not presented as a simple cure for Edward’s loneliness. How did you approach writing their relationship with restraint and emotional honesty?
I wish I had a woman’s point of view, because I would have made Kleo the principle character instead of Edward.) It’s beyond my experience that mature people can fall in love and simply shed their characters. By New Year’s Eve, Edward and Kleo still don’t know much about each other’s private lives. Is Kleo delusional? Is Edward hiding something? But they’ve spent their lives working together, eyeing and unconsciously evaluating each other every business day. They trust each other. Maybe that’s enough to make the survival existences they have each fashioned tolerable, at least for a start.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Edward Brash has spent decades building a life defined by control, routine, and emotional distance. Once shaped by youthful love and possibility, he now exists behind an impenetrable persona, moving through his days as a capable but detached executive. The rhythms of work and solitude have replaced connection, and the world beyond his routines feels increasingly distant.
On a bleak Christmas Eve, a chance encounter disrupts that carefully ordered existence. Drawn into an unexpected and chaotic effort to rescue two children’s stranded cats, Edward finds himself acting on instinct rather than detachment. The moment is small and almost absurd, yet it unsettles something long dormant within him.
The following morning, in a cemetery where he has created a private ritual of remembrance, Edward encounters a colleague he has long misunderstood. Their conversation unfolds into an unlikely connection, revealing hidden histories, shared isolation, and the quiet persistence of longing beneath carefully maintained lives.
Over the course of a single holiday, Edward is forced to confront the distance between who he has become and who he once was. Yet this is not a story of easy redemption or clear resolution. Instead, it offers an unflinching exploration of those who find themselves outside the structures of belonging, questioning whether reconnection is ever truly possible.
For readers drawn to thoughtful, character-driven fiction, The Man Who Obviated Christmas is a reflective and deeply human novel about solitude, memory, and the uncertain path back to meaning.
Big Feelings and Big Ideas
The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children centers around an elf who is sent into a spiral of doubt when she discovers a letter from a child who insists elves do not exist. Where did the idea for this story come from?
This title actually came from my family. In the 1980s, my grandmother went back to school alongside one of my aunts. In a writing class together, my aunt wrote a short story called The Elf Who Didn’t Believe in Children. The plot was completely different from mine, but the title stayed in my grandmother’s files for years. In the 1990s, while my grandmother was cleaning things out, she handed it to me because she knew I loved writing for kids. She basically said, “Maybe you’ll do something with this.” And I did. I ran with the title and built an entirely new story around it. The book is dedicated to my Aunt Virginia because without her, Flossy wouldn’t exist. As a parent, I was also inspired by the many philosophical debates my own children loved to have. We talked about belief constantly – belief in holidays, in magis, in the tooth fairy, in things we can’t see, and in larger spiritual questions. Kids are natural skeptics and profound thinkers at the same time. They want proof, but they also want to wonder. Flossy was born right at the intersection.
Flossy is a firecracker of a character. Are her traits and dialogue modeled after anyone in your own life?
Flossy is a delightful mash-up of so many people I love: strong-willed kids, big thinkers, skeptics, artists, and a little bit of me, too. I’ve always admired children who ask why and refuse easy answers. Flossy has that rebellious streak, but she also has a huge heart waiting to open. Her humor, her dramatic flair, her “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude – that all comes from real conversations I’ve had with my kids when they were younger, when they were trying to make sense of a complicated world.
What authors have most influenced your love for children’s literature?
I’m deeply inspired by writers who trust children with big feelings and big ideas. Roald Dahl showed me that stories can be mischievous, tender, and slightly subversive all at once. Madeleine L’Engle taught me that faith, doubt, and love can sit in the same room together. And Kate DiCamillo writes with such enormous compassion for lonely hearts. They never talk down to children. They invite them upward. That’s always my goal.
Can we look forward to seeing more work from you soon?
What are you currently working on? Absolutely! I always seem to have a few stories going at once. The next picture book I am currently working on is titled Hoggy, Foggy, and Their Terrifying Life with a Spider. At first glance, it’s funny and fast – a ghost afraid of a spider, a spider afraid of a ninja, and a ninja afraid of a ghost. Everyone is running from everyone else. Doors slam, feet pound, chaos erupts. But when they finally stop running, they talk. And that’s where the real story begins. The book gently explores loneliness, friendship, moving away, grief, and what it means to remember someone after they’re gone. It doesn’t try to explain death to children; it tries to reassure them that love stays, memories stay, and we can be brave in very quiet ways. I wrote it with my granddaughter, Moon, during a time when our family was navigating loss. There is laughter in the book, silliness, knitting jokes, and sliding down banisters – but underneath it is a promise to children and the grown-ups who read with them: even small things can carry big love a long, long way. So yes – more stories are coming, and they will continue to hold humor in one hand and heart in the other. (Flossy would probably approve of that.)
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Chasing Sara | Banned Books | Website | Amazon
Gentle Humour
Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits features parallel stories: A squirrel and his family as they scramble to survive the brutal winter, and a young bookworm of a girl preparing for Christmas with her own family. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Following the success of Stikki the Squirrel, book one in the series, I felt a strong desire to set pen to paper and begin another chapter in Stikki’s and Rella’s lives. The two young adult squirrels now had a family of four kits and had made many woodland friends on their first adventure together. So with that in mind, I began outlining the individual characters that had made an appearance in the first book. I chose to expand on these individuals, supporting characters I call them, to see who pushed themselves forward. So by the time I had finished the rough draft copy of the story, I was spoilt for choice, wondering who to bring to the forefront in the story of my new book, Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits. New animal characters also feature in the story, and as in book one, when they began to speak, their personalities and mannerisms just slotted into place. It was a weird and wonderful time watching my characters come to life on the pages. I know that might sound daft, but that’s how it happened from my perspective as a writer and artist. In this second book, I wanted to bring in a different kind of character, a human girl, twelve-year-old Sophie, her father, Evan, and her family, counting down the days leading up to Christmas. Bringing in humans (longlegs), I thought, would bring a new dimension to the story with relatable characters for children to understand and empathise with. In book two: Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits, time has moved on for the animals in Hazy Hills Wood, who now face a bitterly cold winter with very little food available to them. In the second installment, I have created an exciting action story for children and teenagers who enjoy imaginative, character-driven stories about friendship and the importance of supporting each other when times are tough. There is gentle humour that carries a subtle message about caring for our wildlife.
The book continues the enchanting tale of a grey squirrel called Stikki and his mate Rella, their four slightly scatty kits, and an array of woodland animals the squirrel family befriends. A tale of mystery, danger, and the wonders of magic found in the most unexpected places. Set in midwinter, amongst the tall trees of the magnificent Hazy Hills Wood, the story begins.
What do you enjoy most about writing children’s literature?
I suppose the answer is simple—I enjoy the genre. I must be a big kid at heart, even though I was a late bloomer to come onto the publishing scene. I’ve enjoyed reading books my entire life, so, unsurprisingly, in my retirement, all the wonderful stories I had read in the past must have inspired my imagination to have a go myself. To date, I have published four books.
My debut novel: GoldenEars: The Whispering Mountain, book one. Followed two years later by the sequel: GoldenEars: The Pale Skulls. Both books have won awards and earned themselves several lovely reviews as well. Both books are animal adventure fiction (wolves, with humans too), suitable for children aged ten years to young adults. Book two is rated a little older, for young adults to adult readers. My stories are about friendship, hope, and resilience.
I have discovered writing stories for children to be rewarding. Your young audience is usually appreciative of a good story, though they can equally be critical if you get it wrong in their eyes!
Young minds keep you on your toes. Children have no qualms about questioning the creation of your characters, or the setting, and the facts relayed about squirrels’ lives and their habitat. So I make a point of rigorously researching my subject before I begin writing anything new.
The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you share a little about the process?
The age group for which my books are intended governs the artwork involved to a certain extent. For younger children’s books, the pictures tend to be larger and in full colour forming the main part of the book with the accompanying text larger as well. For older children of eight years and upwards, story books that have pictures or sketches are usually created in shades of grey to black on a plain white background, or in some cases, a detailed sketch is necessary depending on the scene.
When I sit down to begin creating a new character, I take out my A3 sketch pad and a hard pencil, either an HB or a 2H, using light strokes over the paper to form the outline of the body of the animal character. My characters are neither cartoonish nor lifelike but somewhere in between. They are unique to me and have become a hallmark in the Stikki the Squirrel books.
For continuity, I have kept to the same style of artwork in both Stikki books. Hand-drawn sketches created in black ink with pencil shading ranging from 3B to 8B for added depth where necessary.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am in the process of story creation for Stikki book three. I have some exciting ideas, but first need to get these written down on a rough draft copy. From there, I can expand the plot by jotting down sections in each chapter as I go. At the moment, it’s all in my head.
When I do get in a position to begin writing in earnest, I always make a point of having my reading and writing buddy sitting beside me. His name is Big Patchy, a fifteen-inch-tall soft toy doggy pal with a cream-coloured body, black ears, nose, and tail, of whom I read aloud to as though he is a child. This may sound nuts to some people, but doing this helps me write with children in mind, so the words are appropriate for the age group intended. Reading aloud enables me to ‘hear’ the words and gauge how well these fit in with the story plot, interpretation, and fluidity.
With regards to the publication date, well, that is too far away to predict. But I will keep readers informed using my Amazon author page and also through my website.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Winter has arrived in Hazy Hills Wood, covering everything in a blanket of snow.
Food is hard to find, and the animals are getting hungry. To make things worse, there is a scary food thief on the prowl.
Stikki heads out into the cold to find his secret stash, but when he doesn’t come home, Rella goes searching for him. A frightening journey looms ahead as Stikki and Rella are forced to confront their enemies and the dreaded longlegs.
Deep in the heart of the ancient wood stands the animals’ sacred ash tree. When Brodboar the badger spots something strange high in the tree’s branches, he is shocked by the discovery and begins to worry. Is it a warning?
With Stikki and Rella still missing, can the woodland animals work together to find their friends before it’s too late?
Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits
Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits follows Stikki, his mate Rella, their four kits, and a whole woodland of animals trying to survive a brutal winter while food runs out and foxes, hawks, and “longlegs” (humans) prowl around. In the middle of the snow and danger, a mysterious ancient ash tree wakes up, while in a nearby Welsh village a book-mad girl called Sophie gets ready for Christmas with her family. The story weaves between the cold, risky lives of the animals and the warm glow of Sophie’s cottage.
I really liked the way the writing feels cosy and old-fashioned, like a grandparent telling a long story by the fire. The language is simple but not babyish, with fun touches like calling humans “longlegs” and giving the animals big personalities. The woodland scenes are very vivid, all that deep snow and biting wind and creaking branches, and the chase with the foxes actually made me tense up. The tone swings between gentle and quite intense, so one moment you get cute kit chaos and the next you get a life-or-death scramble for a tree or a plunge into the freezing river. The black-and-white drawings scattered through the book match that feeling really nicely, with scratchy, lively lines that make Stikki look both adorable and a bit frazzled.
Underneath the talking animals, there is a strong “we are all connected” vibe, with the trees, the weather, the pigs who escaped a factory farm, the deer, the foxes, even the grumpy crow, all tangled into the same story of survival and kindness. I loved the reveal of the tree spirits as dragonfly-like beings who noticed Stikki’s bravery and his unselfish wish for food. The Sophie chapters add a different warmth: books stacked at the end of the bed, hot chocolate, a recovering aunt, and that Christmas feeling of everyone finally being in the same house again after a scare. It made the whole thing feel like two threads of hope, one human and one wild, running side by side.
I would recommend Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits to kids who enjoy longer animal stories with a mix of danger and comfort, probably confident readers around eight to twelve or younger children as a read-aloud with an adult. It is also a sweet pick for anyone who loves winter tales, forest magic, and the kind of story that quietly nudges you to care about animals and trees while you are wrapped up in the adventure.
Pages: 175 | ASIN : B0GHZMQPC8
