Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an attorney/personal trainer/writer/editor/ and now, children’s book author. So far, I have written two children’s books. I made my first book on StoryJumper. It’s called, “Miss Quacky Cracks the Case.” It’s a simple little mystery featuring the world’s one and only “ducktective,” Miss Quacky. Miss Quacky was a blind duck that I owned for a number of years until she passed. I was so excited about actually having published a children’s book that I decided to write another one. But this time I made it far more professional – complete with editing/proofreading and a professional illustrator. I am working on another adventure book for Colonel Whiskers and Q-Tip (who were indeed real mini lop bunnies) and I’m working on a book featuring my new (well, new to me) goose, Cous-goose. I’m writing it for Cous’ former owners. I think its fun to see your very own dog/goose/duck/bunny featured in a book, so I write about the animals in my life (some current, some former) and in the lives of friends and family. I’m not looking to change lives, amass a gazillion followers, or get on the Bestseller list. I just like animals and believe they are an important part of our lives. And by writing little books about the animals I love, I get to entertain myself, and, hopefully, my readers.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Colonel Whiskers and the Great Farm Heist. Adventures of a Military Bunny.” I wrote the book as a gift for my son who is serving in the U.S. Airforce. Colonel Whiskers and Q-Tip were his mini lop bunnies, so I had the illustrator make the pictures look as much like them as possible. Then I threw in Miss Quacky, and my Doberman, Frankie, our neighbor’s dog, Fiona, plus our cat and one of my donkeys to round out the cast. Just to amuse myself, as a former mortgage lending lawyer, I made the plot involve a foreclosure scheme.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I’m not sure it’s a “habit,” but I write what I consider to be “adult children’s books.” I know these are picture books and they are simple stories, but I find myself throwing in inside jokes, puns and legal information aimed more at adults.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jane Austen. Sophie Kinsella. The best writer in the world, P.G. Wodehouse, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie (except where she talks about adoption). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I loved Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe (about an ugly dog), National Velvet.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on another military bunny adventure featuring Q-Tip and a book about Cous-Goose (Called, “Couscous a Most Extraordinary Goose”) for my friends who used to own Cous but gave her to us to save her from their goose-eating dog.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am hoping it will be you.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Don’t fall for all the baloney about self-publishing being “easy.”
What are you reading now?
I mostly listen to audiobooks now. I’m listening to a book by Stephanie Barron where Jane Austen is the detective. It’s fun and she throws in some historical information.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Ahh, no doubt it’s stardom! But I hope to improve my writing enough to write a cosy mystery.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pride and Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, a Jeeves and Wooster book, and a Nero Wolfe book.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lisa Parrella Amazon Profile