Binny and Dash: The Wild Between Us follows a grieving house cat drawn into a dangerous conflict between pets, raccoons, and humans, where she must learn that courage sometimes means choosing mercy over fear. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The story began with my own cat, Binny. I adopted her on a snowy day when she appeared at my door. She had been a stray farm cat looking for safety and a new beginning.

In the story, Binny’s grief over losing her kitten reflects my own grief after losing my beloved older cat to cancer. As I watched Binny adjust to her new life, I was struck by her quiet courage and her willingness to trust again and become part of our family.

That experience inspired me to imagine a larger adventure. I wanted to explore how loss can shape us, but also how compassion, friendship, and forgiveness can help us heal. Although the novel is a work of fiction, its emotional heart comes from a very real relationship with a remarkable cat.

The story challenges the idea of “enemies” by making Dash and the raccoons more complex than they first appear. Why was that moral gray area important to you?

I wanted young readers to question the idea of who an “enemy” really is. We often judge others too quickly, pointing fingers based on appearances, fear, or stereotypes. In reality, there is usually more to the story.

I believe it is important for children to gather the facts before making decisions about people—or animals. Understanding another person’s perspective can lead to empathy instead of conflict. Through Binny and Dash, I hope readers see that courage is not only about facing danger, but also about looking beyond first impressions and choosing compassion over prejudice.

Nature, scent, weather, and animal instincts play a major role in the book’s atmosphere. How did you approach writing the sensory world of the animals?

I grew up with pets, so I spent countless hours closely observing their behavior. As a child, I often imagined that I was one of them, trying to see the world through their eyes. That childhood curiosity stayed with me.

Playing freely in fields with my cats and dogs gave me a deep appreciation for nature—the changing weather, the smells carried by the wind, the sounds of birds, and the textures of grass, trees, and soil. Those memories helped me imagine how animals experience the world primarily through scent, instinct, and heightened awareness rather than words.

When I wrote Binny and Dash, I wanted readers to step into that sensory world and experience nature as the animals do.

4Lucy is secretive but not simply cruel, which complicates Binny’s assumptions. What do you hope young readers take from that relationship?

Lucy and Binny’s relationship grows out of events in my first book, Binny and the Moon Girl. In that story, the veterinarian, Dr. Andreas, tries to capture Binny’s adopted daughter. Because Lucy works at the veterinary clinic, Binny assumes she has betrayed her family and cannot be trusted.

As the story unfolds, however, Binny discovers that Lucy has been secretly helping a mother raccoon protect and save her babies. That revelation forces Binny to question her assumptions.

I hope young readers learn an important lesson: don’t rush to judge others or jump to conclusions. We rarely know the whole story. It is important to observe carefully, ask questions, and gather the facts before making a decision. Understanding the truth often requires patience, empathy, and an open mind.