Author Interviews — Real Stories from Real Authors

I grew up in Toronto, Ontario but have lived in London, Ontario for over 40 years. I used to tell stories at various venues in London. At one, a lady came up to me and told me I should write my stories down. That started my writing career. I wrote my first book THE GREAT BELLYBUTTON COVER-UP and eventually self-published it.

I was born and raised in New Orleans, La. I came into the world with a boundless imagination. As a child, storytelling was second nature—my days were filled with short stories and vivid characters born from my own wonder. But it wasn’t until later in life, when my daughter lovingly challenged me to write a book and offered to illustrate it herself, that I penned my very first children’s story. That moment was a beautiful turning point—a shared creative leap that opened the door to a new chapter in my writing journey.

My name is Tamikio L. Dooley. I'm a multi award-winning author, an educator, and health mentor. I writes children’s books. I'm the author of Never Trust a Frog with a Book, Fat Little Preston, the Mischievous Meerkat, Go Fetch the Food, Theodore, Claire, the Budding Artist, Arnav the Time Travel Boy, Magical Adventure Short Stories, and other children’s books. I'm the founder and president of Empowering Education Skills and Programs Organization collaborating with Humanist of the World Organization, which I'm also the founder and president. I was elected as the Education Development by the Chinmaya Foundation, Awarded the Empowering Voice in Education Award by A Walk with Education, and appointed as the Ambassador of the Global Course Academy GCA, Michigan, USA. Fellow children's book authors inspired me to write first children's book entitled at Little Preston, the Mischievous Meerkat.

Well, I discovered the 12-year-old in me still ''lives'' so that helps and since ''The Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' were some of my favorite mysteries as a kid I figured kids today should have that same opportunity.

I live and breathe the ocean. My whole world in on, in, or around the ocean.

I've always loved writing. I write mainly poetry and short stories. I also work with students and parents and saw that there was a gap in the classroom for engaging poetry that was both age appropriate and culturally inclusive. And that's when the idea for my children's book was birthed - Pineapple Moon and Other Poems for Children

After receiving a Master's Degree in The Science of Learning my natural choice was to apply that knowledge to helping children learn by deploying a new and research method called a Tunnel Book.

I’ve loved stories in rhyme since childhood, especially Thomas the Tank Engine, Winnie the Pooh and Dr Seuss. My grandad recited a humorous soccer poem to me as a boy, and now I enjoy sharing stories in rhyme with my grandchildren. Seeing their eyes light up when I read aloud inspired me to start writing my own books—some faith-based, some just plain fun—to capture those moments for other families too.

Wallace Briggs (1943 – present). Happily married to Pat, who I first met at the age of eleven, walking a common route home from different schools. Married aged 2,1 we celebrated our Diamond Anniversary in September 202424 Our first forty years were spent in and around Durham, never living more than 5ml distance from the Cathedral City. Pat and I spent many happy years in the North East of England before employment almost took us off to emigrate to South Africa. But plans were changed in the final weeks and the company moved the family Sussex. After more than twenty years in Sussex, and Hampshire, employment was again responsible for the move to beautiful rural Lancashire, where we still reside. I am now retired from a long career in sales and marketing of technical products in the UK and international markets. Jimmy Crikey was born on a rainy day during a family holiday in Great Yarmouth, over forty years ago, to entertain my son and his new-found beach friends for an hour or so. The story expanded over the following showery afternoons in the cramped confines of a beach tent, and more and more adventures were required to keep the children entertained. I had observed that in the small group, one child, a small ginger-headed boy, was being picked on by his bigger, older friends. Go there, do this, fetch that and similar 'instructions' were delivered at frequent intervals. In other words, he was being bullied by his peers. I made him the hero of my story, which related how the orphaned alien boy born on Earth was subject to bullying because he looked different. Jimmy had red hair, big feet, which he kept tripping over, and pointed ears. But Jimmy persevered and escaped the bullies, and once free, he developed into the hero of the subterranean world of Roombelow. The moral: it doesn't matter what you look like, what matters is what lies in your heart, and not giving up leads to success.

Because children love rhythm and rhyme—it makes reading feel like singing a song.