Meet Mildred Potash, Author

Mildred Potash was born in Brooklyn, New York. She has always been an animal lover. Her very first pets were two rats, and they inspired her to write a children's book called Millie and Cupcake, which is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

1. When did you first start keeping rats as pets, and why did you choose rats for your pets?

I have had gerbils, dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, and guinea pigs. I was 18 years old when my friend told me about rats. He told me how smart his pet rat was. He told me how his rat would be waiting for him and climb up on his shoulder. He also told me how loving, smart, clean and playful she was. At first, I thought it was weird, but then I decided to adopt two rats for myself. I named them Cookie and Bella. I have been in love with rats ever since. Unlike hamsters and gerbils, rats love to play and be held. They love attention. I like hamsters and gerbils, but they do tend to nip and do not like to be held as much as rats do, and they sleep all day. I love rats because they all have their own personalities. They love to give kisses, sit on their owners' shoulders, play with their owners, and have little tug of wars--and they are easy to handle. Rats are really clean, cute, and funny, and they are really social animals.

2. What inspired you to write a children's book based on your experience having pet rats?

Honestly, I never thought I would write a children's book. I used to receive tons of emails about writing books, and I would just delete them. I had this pet rat named Cupcake; she was a sweetheart. We had such a strong bond, and after she passed away, I was so heartbroken. It took me awhile to get over her loss. After she passed away, I had a few ideas that popped up in my head, so I decided to write them all down. It did not occur to me right away, to write a story. I just started to write, and then I had a dream of the characters and the rest of the story. I wanted to honor my Cupcake and use her as the pet in my story. That's when I put it all together to create Millie and Cupcake.

3. What would you say to parents who feel hesitation around their kids having rodents as pets?

Based on my experience with hamsters, pets, rabbits, mice, and gerbils, I would compare them all to pet rats. I would explain to parents how wonderful rats are. I would explain to them that it's not true about rats being 'dirty." They are really clean, social, smart, funny, cute, and easy to take care of and handle. My pet rats make me laugh: after I handle my them, they always clean themselves. Rats love attention, and they do not sleep all day like hamsters and gerbils. Rats are also affectionate; they give kisses and love to sit on their owners' shoulders.

4. In writing a book based on your own experience, did you find it difficult to distill real life events down to a short enough story for a children’s book?

It wasn't really difficult. The only difficult part was making sure the story was clear and worded correctly. Part of my story is an expression of me. The little girl is shy and she loves animals.

5. Would you tell us a bit about the importance of animals and animal rights to you today?

I really love animals; I've always loved them since I was a little girl. They mean the world to me. It really hurts me when I hear those stories about people abusing or abandoning their pets. I just feel that people should speak up for and defend animals since they cannot speak for themselves. I adopt all of my animals. I do not understand why people use animals to make money like puppy mills. Why can't they treat them like animals instead of garbage? I would love to travel the world and save those poor helpless animals that no one wants.

Thanks, Mildred!

Excerpt from The Whimzy and Whammy of Chase and Chance

Sheron Archibald is the author of the children's book, The Whimzy and Whammy of Chase and Chance, available on Amazon. Sheron describes herself as an avid reader and a bit of a philosopher. She was born and raised on the island of Grenada, in the British West Indies. Today she lives in Canada. Sheron is a strong advocate for social justice, especially for the elderly and the poor.

The title characters of Sheron's book, Chase and Chance are from Brampton, Ontario. Their escapades, quirkiness, and ability to ask spot-on questions leave readers blushing and roaring with laughter. They are twins with a little sister named Chloe.

Below is an excerpt from The Whimzy and Whammy of Chase and Chance.

Mother, What Are Twins?

It was a nice day outside, and Mother was doing errands with Chase, Chance and Chloe. She had to grab some things at the store, go to the post office, and get something at the pet store. The children loved going to the pet store to see all of the animals. They walked around inside and saw fish, hamsters, ferrets, birds, and a very special surprise! Someone had brought a litter of kittens to the store to be adopted. The children loved watching the kittens play together. They all looked the same--all black with white paws. Chance and Chase especially loved watching two very playful kittens in the litter. They were chasing each other's tails and swatting at them. Then, they were chasing their own tails. Then, the silly kittens were reaching through the cage to try to touch the boys.

"Aww, so cute! It is twins watching twins!" said the store clerk.

Mother smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, they are. They are very special indeed!" said Mother.

"Can we keep them?" asked Chance and Chase in unison.

"Not today, boys. We are not getting any kittens anytime soon," replied Mother. After paying for the food that Mother had gone to the store for, they headed home.

While riding in the car, Chase and Chance got to thinking a lot about what the clerk at the store said. "Mother, why do people call us twins? What does it mean?" asked the boys.

"Well, it means that you both were in my belly at the same time. You were born on the same day, so you shared the same space as you grew. It is kind of like those kittens you were watching. You remember how they looked so alike? That is because they were in their mother cat's belly at the same time. They grew inside of her and were born the same day. That makes them a lot alike. But they are still different kittens and have their own personalities, just like both of you. It makes you very special," explained Mother.

"Oh, okay. Well, what about Chloe? Does that mean she isn't special? We love you, Chloe. You are special to us," said the boys trying to make sure Chloe knew she was special.

"All of you are very special. You are all special people, and you all have different things that make you special. Only some mommies get to have twins. That's what makes it so special. But you are still different because you are not exactly the same. You have different personalities and different likes. Chloe is very special because there is no one in the whole world who is like her. And there is no other Chase like you, and there is no other Chance like you. That makes you both very special, too. Chase, you came out of my belly first, so that makes you the oldest. And Chance, you came out of my belly right after Chase. Just like those kittens, one of them came out first, and that makes them the oldest. Also, one of them is the youngest because they came out last. But I want you all to know that you are all very special to me because you all are mine and you will always be mine. You’re my Chase, my Chance and my Chloe, all special for being who you are."

"Oh, we get it now. So, can we get those kittens? They are twins, and you said they are special, so they need a special home. You told us that all of us are special, so we would be a very special home for them!" reasoned the boys. Mother just laughed and shook her head.

The End

Thanks, Sheron!

Meet Karl F. Hollenbach, Author

The author of The Great Hawk, Karl F. Hollenbach was born in 1925 in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his B.A. and M. Ed. from the University of Louisville. His esoteric and metaphysical articles have been published in Japan and England as well as the United States. He and his artist wife live on Dunsinane Hill Farm near Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The Great Hawk is available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more about the book here.

1. How does your background as an educator influence your work as a writer?

As a previous teacher, I strive for clarity in my writing, being aware that words, besides having a dictionary definition, also produce different degrees of emotional responses from readers. A teacher's greatest reward is the "Ah!" expressed when a student suddenly understands. I write with the hope and expectation of "Ahs!" when the reader understands a difficult concept, considers a new idea, accepts a different opinion, or is challenged by a different twist.

I strive not just for "good writing" or even "better writing," but my best writing. My companion next to my word processor is Roget's Thesaurus, an invaluable source for finding "the right word." I learned as a teacher that writing is not "talk written down," and that reading challenges a different part of our thinking than does listening.

2. Have you had personal experience with falconry and/or birds, or did you need to conduct a great deal of background research for The Great Hawk?

I had no personal experience with falconry nor did I do extensive research. It is the trappings of falconry, not its substance, that entice young Jimmy when he discovers it in reading about King Arthur.

My wife and I live on the farm that has been in her family for five generations.

One spring day I noticed more than the normal four or five hawks that circled overhead throughout the week. Soon they multiplied until there were over thirty. There is majesty in several hawks circling high above, but thirty becomes ominous. "Let's go inside," I told my wife, and we did.

3. Do you think that young people today are experiencing some loss of connection with the natural world?

Young children now spend too much time viewing and listening to electronic devices and neglect those things that help prepare them in the simple skills of dealing with the real world: simple decision-making, choosing, evaluating, experiencing, and judging chance and probability. The mystical experience of nature is replaced by the magic of electronic devices.

4. How does an appreciation of farming and the countryside help enrich our lives, and how do we see this in action in Jimmy's life in your story?

In The Great Hawk, farming and the countryside represent pristine nature, while Jimmy's wish to "train a baby hawk" is his conditioning to control nature. Our electronic culture encourages us to direct nature, if not control it, and certainly not to marvel at its miraculous manifestations: a small device with no wires allows us to listen to music played hundreds of miles away, and our reaction is not the astonishing activity filling empty space but "can I get it louder."

5. What writing project(s) are you currently working on?

A book that begins with a mystery in 1935 that is answered by a story of redemption beginning in 1862. The title is Holy Ground.

Below is the book trailer for The Great Hawk...

Thanks, Karl!