Q and A:
Q: Was there really a fire in Oregon like that?
A: Yes! There really was a fire and my family and I were out in Oregon visiting my parents who still live there. Luckily, our house didn’t burn down but we did see the fire and the firefighters and experienced everything else I write about on pages 3 and 4. If you are interested in more information on forest fires, this one was named The Biscuit Fire and here are a few links to get you started.
http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/WildfireSummary_Biscuit.cfm http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/biscuit/biscuit.htmQ: Is this book a true story?
A: Well, kind of. The characters Carter, Lillie and Nelson are based on my own children who are Parker, Ellie and Reed. Those names were the names I almost named them! The parents have the roles reversed though, Mom is the doctor in the book, but here it is my husband Tom who is the doctor. Many of the things that happen in the book really did happen in real life…we have calico cats, she did have kittens in the space under our house, someone really did steal pumpkins from where they were near the Orchard Hill sign. And we know that most schools have Alexandrias, Johnnyrottens, and thankfully lots of Lillies and Roses and Irisas!
Q: Where does the story take place?
A: I live on Falls Road on land that was once an apple orchard. The Orchard Hill sign still hangs down by my driveway. Lillie’s house is my house-we also have a barn and a pond and of course a fairy garden. And the brick road on the cover of book #1 is Falls Road, and the girls walking up the road are my daughter Ellie and the illustrator’s daughter Bradley! She took a picture of the girls walking and then painted the picture.
www.chagrinfalls.netQ: Why did you write this book?
A: This book had to be written! When my daughter was in the second grade, she started getting bullied. We started talking about this…why does this happen? How can someone who used to be your best friend suddenly turn on you? Why don’t their moms do something? That’s how we came up with the Alpha, Beta, Gamma concept. It has helped us tremendously over the years. The Alphas are here to stay; they’ve been here for thousands of years and will be around for thousands more!
A: Here are the links to two of my favorite non-profit organizations! Thanks for helping!