August 28, 2025 • 28 mins
On this episode of Daily Spark with Dr. Angela, I sit down with author Heather Millard to talk about her journey, her inspiration for writing, and the message she hopes readers carry with them. Tune in for a heartfelt conversation filled with encouragement, creativity, and the power of storytelling.
Her book, Moonlight Monsters, is available on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
Her book, Moonlight Monsters, is available on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hello, everyone, and thank you so much for joining me
for Spark with Doctor Angela. I'm your host, Doctor Angela.
But Chester, you guys know who I am, and you
know what I'd like to do on my show. Say
it with me. I want to enlighten, inspire, and for
you to become your best self. Now, scripture reminds us
that the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches,
(00:33):
but a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
And that's what we want to do today. We want
to get you fired about my guest. I'll be spending
day today with Heather Milliard and we'll be talking about
her book Moonlight Monsters. So you know what I'm gonna
tell you to do. Go on, get comfy, get cozy,
(00:56):
get your coffee or get your tea, because are about
it gets started. Hello, Hello, Thank you so much for
joining me today.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Miamilliards, I am happy to join you and you're in California,
I believe.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yes, Thank you so much for joining us today. Now,
we realize that there may be a few listeners who
are unfamiliar with you. So the fact that you are
a children's book author is something that I one hundred
percent love. I love children's authors. You guys have a
(01:41):
way of instructing our children. So thank you so much
for being on. Now I want to with asking you
about being an author. Is this something that you've always
wanted to do or did you find that the the
best ways to help teach children?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, I do have an imagination, and I do love children.
I have two of my own who are now grown up.
One is even seventy, so she's not really considered a
child anymore, but I will always consider her my child.
(02:26):
And I was always seem to be writing fairy tales
or stories for children when I was. I forget as
I was about twelve or thirteen when I started, and
I have lots of children's stories. One is called the
(02:48):
Happiness Jacket. One is about a hedgehog, which in America
is called a porcupine. One is about a dragon who
didn't know that he had any fire. Once about a
fairy in fairyland who couldn't answer a question, so she
(03:09):
was ousted from fairyland, and the little girl sees her
in a toy shop and buys her and helps her
get back to fairyland. And of course Moonlight Monsters is
that the book all about shadows who become in the
(03:33):
eyes of Alexander, the boy in my story, who imagines
that these shadows are mon Yes, that is so awesome.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I love that you've written so many were able to
teach children in so many various ways. Now, when it
comes to the title of the book, I have to say,
I love entitled did Moonlight Monsters. I think that it
really is going to catch the attention of so many
(04:08):
because all of us, I think, can remember being a
child and wondering about those moonlight monsters that we believe
that we see. But I want to ask you about
the age of the children. Would you say that your
book is appropriate for our our pre kindergarten age children
(04:29):
or would you say this is more kindergarten, first and second.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Grade, oh more third grade. Yes, I think a seven
year old, seven year old, eight year old, nine year old,
maybe even ten year old, and even an adult. Because
the monsters that Alexander sees, which of course are shadows
(05:02):
in reality, their names being Jangles because he has a
lot of medals and he's an impatient shadow. And then
there is Mozzarella, who has a yellow plaid jacket, and
then Daisy who has a feather in her hat which
(05:26):
tickles Mozzarella's nose every time she bends her head. And
lastly is Ritzy, who needs the job. There's an officers
you see of shadows, and these shadows get sent to
different children to frighten them and to help the children
(05:46):
find out how brave they can be. So there is
a rule. In fact, it's interesting you mentioned the title.
There was at one time I had thought I would
call it Mons the Rules, and one of the rules
was that the shadows would never talk to the children.
(06:07):
And Rizzy, who this is her first job, and she
gets arrives late because she couldn't find her left shoe,
And when she arrives, she is also told she's going
to have to fly up to Alexander's room on the
(06:28):
second floor, and she says, oh, I wasn't told when
I applied for the job I would have to fly
and she's worried about that, and Jangles, who's really the
leader of the group of shadows, says to her, never
you mind, I'm going to count to seven and you
will all fly up. And she finds it a lot
(06:50):
of fun actually, as she's lifted upon something going up
to Alexander's room, and of course landing with the three
other shadows on his wall. And when she sees how
frightened Alexander is, she melts. She says to him, think
(07:16):
of something happy, like the monkeys in the zoo. And
so he's surprised because he's never thought the monsters would
talk to him. And then the wind blows the branches
of this big tree which is outside the window of
(07:37):
his room, and it makes the shadows come even closer
to him. So he's so really terrified now, and he
jumps out of bed and he goes downstairs to his mother,
who's in the kitchen, and she says to him, oh,
you must have smelt the chocolate chip cookies which I've
(08:01):
just taken out of the oven. And he says to her, oh,
can I have And then he thinks and he says four,
and he's going to give it to the monsters, and
she says, no, you can only have one. Well, he's
going up the stairs now, and the smell from the
cookie is really so delightful he wants to bite into
(08:25):
it himself, but he doesn't, and he goes into the
bedroom and he knows they'll be there waiting for him,
and so he tries to remember something Mozzarella has said
to him, because Mozzarella had also decided to talk to
him after hearing Ritzy, and Mozzarella said to him, I
(08:50):
frightened George Washington when he was a little boy, and
see what happened to him. And of course George Washington
is a hero of Alexander's. There's even a painting on
the wall of George Washington in the boat crossing the Delaware.
So he remembers this, and he gets to his room
(09:14):
and he tries to have a very commanding voice, and
he says to the shadows, here is one cookie, and
you must all share it. And then even Dangles says,
you are brave, and brave boys shouldn't have to share
(09:34):
their cookies. So Alexander suddenly feels he's brave. He keeps
that thought in his mind. He hugs it to himself.
He gets into bed, he goes off to sleep, and
the next morning he wakes up and he sees the
cookie is still there, that they didn't beat it, and
(09:59):
so uh, he's very very happy and he enjoys the cookie.
And below on the garden part outside the house, the
shadows of all talking about what happened, and Ritzie says,
I don't think I want this job because they think
(10:21):
a children think of shadows as monsters, and Dangle says
to her, but you're just what we need because look
how your idea of talking to Alexander helps him. And
Mazzarella agreed, and Zazu and the not Zazu Daisy agreed,
(10:45):
and so that really is the situation, and it's I
hope away even when we feel scared, that we can
still find somehow the courage to deal with whatever it
(11:07):
is that's frightened the sun.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
M hmmm, oh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And what a great place for us to take our
b break. Alady everyone, As you know, this book is
available on Amazon and wherever books are sold, so you
definitely know where to pick up a copy for your
little one in your life. We'll be back right after this,
(11:53):
and we are back. Thank you so much for joining
me for Daily Spark where Doctor Angela. I'm your host,
Doctor Angela, but Ja and my guest today is Heather
mill Yard and we'll be talking about her book moon
Light Monsters. I know, such a gury title, missus Milliard,
let me ask you about Alexander. Why was it important
(12:17):
to give him the personality that you did.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Well, Because I think he's got a universal fear of
the dark, perhaps and wondering when it's time to go
to bed, dreading that moment of having to go to bed,
and a lot of children will look in various places
(12:44):
to see if there are any monsters in the cupboard
or under the bed or somewhere. And so my grandson
Alixander was scared actually of the painting that I had,
And so you never know what's going to scare somebody,
(13:09):
even an adult, And so I think I just wanted
somehow to help a child realize that you can change
your thoughts. That you know, if you think something, it
doesn't always have to be exactly as how you think it.
(13:32):
That you can change it into something good, something happy.
You can really appreciate something that perhaps you hadn't appreciated
so and being grateful is part of it, I think,
and finding out about yourself how you deal with things.
(13:54):
So I think that alex.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And you said a very important thing there as well,
and that is is that sometimes adults are still frightened
of things that affected them as children, and you never
know what that trigger will will be so many times.
For example, so many times adults are afraid of dogs
(14:25):
because when they were a child they were chased by
a dog. Or I know someone who doesn't particularly care
for ducks or geese because they were chased as a
little I believe she was about six or seven years old.
She was chased by some ducks and some geese when
(14:45):
she went to the lake. So it's all those little things.
And I think you're right that you never know what's
going to trigger a fear or a little apprehension in someone.
So these stories that you share definitely help everyone. Well,
let me ask you about then, the personalities of the
(15:07):
monsters that we that we hear about. How did you
go about determining which fears or which personalities you would
address for Alexander, was that a tough thing to decide
who you would include in the book?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
No, it's interesting, and I just loved I just loved them. Jackles,
you know, is a rigid sort of person, you know,
and not not sort of open minded, But by the
(15:50):
end of the story, even he becomes open minded when
he sees how something happens that you know that it's good. Uh,
it's good. That to change something that perhaps is not helpful.
So that was Jangles, and of course he was going
(16:13):
to have no nonsense. And then there was Mozzarella and uh,
I don't know. I loved his name, and I thought
of him as a cheery sort of person, and of
course he did come up with a positive approach that
(16:33):
you know, he'd scared George Washington, and he turned out
to be okay and brave. And then of course, uh, Daisy,
who I think, uh uh she she'll go along with everybody.
(16:57):
I think Daisy will and then rip see. I wanted
her to be a very motherly sort of person who
would be really sympathetic to any child who was scared
and would do whatever she could to help that child.
(17:18):
But I think that my major, my major idea is
even in myself. You know that perhaps you could think
somebody wasn't nice who you met, and then perhaps you
could say to yourself, well, I think that now, But
(17:39):
can I find something nice about them, or something good
about them, or something good about this situation? And you can,
You can have a complete summer thoughts and change your mind.
And that we are our thoughts, and yet at the
same time we can create our sorts by thinking them through.
(18:04):
So I felt that was a gift to me personally
that I would think something so that I didn't have
to necessarily just think that, that I could think about
it from a different perspective.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
You are, you are so right. I know that I
turnd to be an optimistic person. I try to think
of the glass as half full as opposed to half empty.
So you are, you are so right there. It is
all about how we choose to understand things and the
perspective that we take. I think that's wonderful to remind
(18:45):
the children that they don't have to give their their
little person power away either, that things don't have to
be scary. But when there's a certain understanding that you have,
you can still be You can still have your courage
and not be afraid of of what's going on. I
(19:05):
love that. I love that. Now, as a seasoned author,
I want to switch gears just a little bit with you.
As a season author, you have I'm sure figured out
your groove when it comes to writing. Many authors say
that they prefer to write at a certain time of
(19:28):
day or in a certain location. Some maybe morning or evening,
some may be you know, at the beach or out
on the balcony. Do you have a particular time of
day or location that really soothes your soul while you
are writing.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Well, as a matter of fact, the other night I
couldn't go to sleep, and at five o'clock in the morning,
I had this idea for a play of the children,
and I'm going to try and approach the drama teachers
in the schools when they open with the idea of
(20:08):
the play, which I'm going to call who me. So
I don't know when I'm going to get an idea,
and when I do, I go immediately to either a
pad and write down the idea or if I'm home
the computer. So I'm very I suppose I don't have
(20:31):
a schedule really, and I should and I and actually
at the moment, I'm trying to write a novel, a
historical novel, and it begins in seventeen sixty three and
it ends in seventeen eighty three, and it deals with
the fact that even though America declared its independence in
(20:56):
seventeen seventy six, it took seven years after that for
the rest of the world and of course the King
in England, to accept the fact that America was a
sovereign country. So with that, I'm working on that and
(21:17):
as well as the play, and also trying to get
all of my children's stories in one book rather than
just a separate book for each story. So I've got
a lot on my play. I'm ninety seven, and there
are enough hours in the day because I also like
(21:40):
to watch TV and I like to have my friends over,
so I'm quite busy.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Oh missus Nellie, I you are a woman after my
own heart, or I should say I am a woman
after your own heart. I love that you are. You
are a busy bee. I am very much the same.
My mother says that about me to her friend. She says, Oh,
if I know one person that is not sitting idly by,
(22:12):
who will will get up and do a something, that
is always working on making something a little bit better
or easier or including someone, it's my daughter. So I
have to say, bravo you. That was so inspiring to
me to you know, keep moving forward, to keep doing
(22:38):
what we have been I believe placed on the earth
to do whatever our personality type is. However, we are
little worker bees to keep doing that. So I love that,
and to be ninety seven years old. I love that
our you are the same age, around the same age.
(22:59):
Not my grand mother would have ben. I love that
you guys are still out there sharing your voice and
really inspiring us still because your stories matter and you
are really filling a void for a lot of people
who want to know the information that you have lived
(23:22):
through that you can share with us. So thank you
for continuing to do that. Now I have to say
a play. I think that's gonna be fun, but definitely
keep us in the loop about that. Whenever that happens
to come out. That's going to be exciting because that
(23:43):
means even more children will be involved and their parents
will be able to see them in action with that.
That's exciting. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Now as a as a writer, what would you say
is the thing that keeps you motivated to keep writing
or to keep going?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (24:07):
And you may have answered this just a bit, but
I want to give you a chance to expound if
you like. Is it your love for children? Is it
your love of teaching the children? What keeps you motivated
to keep going?
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I think that if I can help anybody, whether it's
a child or a friend or even a stranger, it
makes me feel good. I'm sure you feel the same.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Way, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
So I'm not happy. I would never be happy just
being happy by myself. I'd always want whoever I was
with to be happy as well. If I mean, I
was married, it's fifty nine years and I never would
have asked my husband to do something just to make
(25:06):
me happy if it made me unhappy. So I think
my whole value in life is we should love each
other and help each other, and then you feel good yourself.
That's I don't know, you like yourself. I think when
you've helped other people as well.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Oh, agreed. Agreed. As a little child, I remember hearing
the adults say if something that I've done inspires one
person or makes one person happy, then I'm glad that
I did it. As a teenager, I would hear celebrities
say if I can help one person not be whatever
(25:52):
it is, not be homeless, not be hungry, you know,
whatever the cause was for, then this was all worth it.
And I understood what they were saying. But now that
I am an adult and I am trying to be
a part of that change in the world, yes, I
definitely understand. And you're right, you do feel that. Wow, Okay,
(26:18):
all of this effort was worth it because one person
has been inspired or empowered, or you made someone laugh,
or they just felt seen or they felt heard. And
in a world that's so full of chaos or noise
and distraction, sometimes we forget to slow down just enough
(26:42):
to see our neighbor or to see our friend and
let them know that we hear them and we love
them and care for them. So I love that. I
love that, well, maybe there's nearly eyes. Thank you so
much for coming on a daily spark with Dotgia Angela
and sharing about your book and being such a wonderful
(27:03):
inspiration to all those who have listened today. I have
enjoyed my conversation with you.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I have enjoyed my conversation with you. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Thank you, Yes, ma'am, you are so welcome and listeners.
Thank you for spending some time with us here today
as well. Though you know, of course, this book is
available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. I hope
that we have once again enlightened, inspired, and empowered you
to be your best self. As always, May the Lord
(27:39):
speak to you with his grace and with his mercy.
May you always remember that you you are blessed in
the Lord. Have a great day everyone,
Hello, everyone, and thank you so much for joining me
for Spark with Doctor Angela. I'm your host, Doctor Angela.
But Chester, you guys know who I am, and you
know what I'd like to do on my show. Say
it with me. I want to enlighten, inspire, and for
you to become your best self. Now, scripture reminds us
that the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches,
(00:33):
but a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
And that's what we want to do today. We want
to get you fired about my guest. I'll be spending
day today with Heather Milliard and we'll be talking about
her book Moonlight Monsters. So you know what I'm gonna
tell you to do. Go on, get comfy, get cozy,
(00:56):
get your coffee or get your tea, because are about
it gets started. Hello, Hello, Thank you so much for
joining me today.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Miamilliards, I am happy to join you and you're in California,
I believe.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yes, Thank you so much for joining us today. Now,
we realize that there may be a few listeners who
are unfamiliar with you. So the fact that you are
a children's book author is something that I one hundred
percent love. I love children's authors. You guys have a
(01:41):
way of instructing our children. So thank you so much
for being on. Now I want to with asking you
about being an author. Is this something that you've always
wanted to do or did you find that the the
best ways to help teach children?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, I do have an imagination, and I do love children.
I have two of my own who are now grown up.
One is even seventy, so she's not really considered a
child anymore, but I will always consider her my child.
(02:26):
And I was always seem to be writing fairy tales
or stories for children when I was. I forget as
I was about twelve or thirteen when I started, and
I have lots of children's stories. One is called the
(02:48):
Happiness Jacket. One is about a hedgehog, which in America
is called a porcupine. One is about a dragon who
didn't know that he had any fire. Once about a
fairy in fairyland who couldn't answer a question, so she
(03:09):
was ousted from fairyland, and the little girl sees her
in a toy shop and buys her and helps her
get back to fairyland. And of course Moonlight Monsters is
that the book all about shadows who become in the
(03:33):
eyes of Alexander, the boy in my story, who imagines
that these shadows are mon Yes, that is so awesome.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I love that you've written so many were able to
teach children in so many various ways. Now, when it
comes to the title of the book, I have to say,
I love entitled did Moonlight Monsters. I think that it
really is going to catch the attention of so many
(04:08):
because all of us, I think, can remember being a
child and wondering about those moonlight monsters that we believe
that we see. But I want to ask you about
the age of the children. Would you say that your
book is appropriate for our our pre kindergarten age children
(04:29):
or would you say this is more kindergarten, first and second.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Grade, oh more third grade. Yes, I think a seven
year old, seven year old, eight year old, nine year old,
maybe even ten year old, and even an adult. Because
the monsters that Alexander sees, which of course are shadows
(05:02):
in reality, their names being Jangles because he has a
lot of medals and he's an impatient shadow. And then
there is Mozzarella, who has a yellow plaid jacket, and
then Daisy who has a feather in her hat which
(05:26):
tickles Mozzarella's nose every time she bends her head. And
lastly is Ritzy, who needs the job. There's an officers
you see of shadows, and these shadows get sent to
different children to frighten them and to help the children
(05:46):
find out how brave they can be. So there is
a rule. In fact, it's interesting you mentioned the title.
There was at one time I had thought I would
call it Mons the Rules, and one of the rules
was that the shadows would never talk to the children.
(06:07):
And Rizzy, who this is her first job, and she
gets arrives late because she couldn't find her left shoe,
And when she arrives, she is also told she's going
to have to fly up to Alexander's room on the
(06:28):
second floor, and she says, oh, I wasn't told when
I applied for the job I would have to fly
and she's worried about that, and Jangles, who's really the
leader of the group of shadows, says to her, never
you mind, I'm going to count to seven and you
will all fly up. And she finds it a lot
(06:50):
of fun actually, as she's lifted upon something going up
to Alexander's room, and of course landing with the three
other shadows on his wall. And when she sees how
frightened Alexander is, she melts. She says to him, think
(07:16):
of something happy, like the monkeys in the zoo. And
so he's surprised because he's never thought the monsters would
talk to him. And then the wind blows the branches
of this big tree which is outside the window of
(07:37):
his room, and it makes the shadows come even closer
to him. So he's so really terrified now, and he
jumps out of bed and he goes downstairs to his mother,
who's in the kitchen, and she says to him, oh,
you must have smelt the chocolate chip cookies which I've
(08:01):
just taken out of the oven. And he says to her, oh,
can I have And then he thinks and he says four,
and he's going to give it to the monsters, and
she says, no, you can only have one. Well, he's
going up the stairs now, and the smell from the
cookie is really so delightful he wants to bite into
(08:25):
it himself, but he doesn't, and he goes into the
bedroom and he knows they'll be there waiting for him,
and so he tries to remember something Mozzarella has said
to him, because Mozzarella had also decided to talk to
him after hearing Ritzy, and Mozzarella said to him, I
(08:50):
frightened George Washington when he was a little boy, and
see what happened to him. And of course George Washington
is a hero of Alexander's. There's even a painting on
the wall of George Washington in the boat crossing the Delaware.
So he remembers this, and he gets to his room
(09:14):
and he tries to have a very commanding voice, and
he says to the shadows, here is one cookie, and
you must all share it. And then even Dangles says,
you are brave, and brave boys shouldn't have to share
(09:34):
their cookies. So Alexander suddenly feels he's brave. He keeps
that thought in his mind. He hugs it to himself.
He gets into bed, he goes off to sleep, and
the next morning he wakes up and he sees the
cookie is still there, that they didn't beat it, and
(09:59):
so uh, he's very very happy and he enjoys the cookie.
And below on the garden part outside the house, the
shadows of all talking about what happened, and Ritzie says,
I don't think I want this job because they think
(10:21):
a children think of shadows as monsters, and Dangle says
to her, but you're just what we need because look
how your idea of talking to Alexander helps him. And
Mazzarella agreed, and Zazu and the not Zazu Daisy agreed,
(10:45):
and so that really is the situation, and it's I
hope away even when we feel scared, that we can
still find somehow the courage to deal with whatever it
(11:07):
is that's frightened the sun.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
M hmmm, oh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And what a great place for us to take our
b break. Alady everyone, As you know, this book is
available on Amazon and wherever books are sold, so you
definitely know where to pick up a copy for your
little one in your life. We'll be back right after this,
(11:53):
and we are back. Thank you so much for joining
me for Daily Spark where Doctor Angela. I'm your host,
Doctor Angela, but Ja and my guest today is Heather
mill Yard and we'll be talking about her book moon
Light Monsters. I know, such a gury title, missus Milliard,
let me ask you about Alexander. Why was it important
(12:17):
to give him the personality that you did.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Well, Because I think he's got a universal fear of
the dark, perhaps and wondering when it's time to go
to bed, dreading that moment of having to go to bed,
and a lot of children will look in various places
(12:44):
to see if there are any monsters in the cupboard
or under the bed or somewhere. And so my grandson
Alixander was scared actually of the painting that I had,
And so you never know what's going to scare somebody,
(13:09):
even an adult, And so I think I just wanted
somehow to help a child realize that you can change
your thoughts. That you know, if you think something, it
doesn't always have to be exactly as how you think it.
(13:32):
That you can change it into something good, something happy.
You can really appreciate something that perhaps you hadn't appreciated
so and being grateful is part of it, I think,
and finding out about yourself how you deal with things.
(13:54):
So I think that alex.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And you said a very important thing there as well,
and that is is that sometimes adults are still frightened
of things that affected them as children, and you never
know what that trigger will will be so many times.
For example, so many times adults are afraid of dogs
(14:25):
because when they were a child they were chased by
a dog. Or I know someone who doesn't particularly care
for ducks or geese because they were chased as a
little I believe she was about six or seven years old.
She was chased by some ducks and some geese when
(14:45):
she went to the lake. So it's all those little things.
And I think you're right that you never know what's
going to trigger a fear or a little apprehension in someone.
So these stories that you share definitely help everyone. Well,
let me ask you about then, the personalities of the
(15:07):
monsters that we that we hear about. How did you
go about determining which fears or which personalities you would
address for Alexander, was that a tough thing to decide
who you would include in the book?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
No, it's interesting, and I just loved I just loved them. Jackles,
you know, is a rigid sort of person, you know,
and not not sort of open minded, But by the
(15:50):
end of the story, even he becomes open minded when
he sees how something happens that you know that it's good. Uh,
it's good. That to change something that perhaps is not helpful.
So that was Jangles, and of course he was going
(16:13):
to have no nonsense. And then there was Mozzarella and uh,
I don't know. I loved his name, and I thought
of him as a cheery sort of person, and of
course he did come up with a positive approach that
(16:33):
you know, he'd scared George Washington, and he turned out
to be okay and brave. And then of course, uh, Daisy,
who I think, uh uh she she'll go along with everybody.
(16:57):
I think Daisy will and then rip see. I wanted
her to be a very motherly sort of person who
would be really sympathetic to any child who was scared
and would do whatever she could to help that child.
(17:18):
But I think that my major, my major idea is
even in myself. You know that perhaps you could think
somebody wasn't nice who you met, and then perhaps you
could say to yourself, well, I think that now, But
(17:39):
can I find something nice about them, or something good
about them, or something good about this situation? And you can,
You can have a complete summer thoughts and change your mind.
And that we are our thoughts, and yet at the
same time we can create our sorts by thinking them through.
(18:04):
So I felt that was a gift to me personally
that I would think something so that I didn't have
to necessarily just think that, that I could think about
it from a different perspective.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
You are, you are so right. I know that I
turnd to be an optimistic person. I try to think
of the glass as half full as opposed to half empty.
So you are, you are so right there. It is
all about how we choose to understand things and the
perspective that we take. I think that's wonderful to remind
(18:45):
the children that they don't have to give their their
little person power away either, that things don't have to
be scary. But when there's a certain understanding that you have,
you can still be You can still have your courage
and not be afraid of of what's going on. I
(19:05):
love that. I love that. Now, as a seasoned author,
I want to switch gears just a little bit with you.
As a season author, you have I'm sure figured out
your groove when it comes to writing. Many authors say
that they prefer to write at a certain time of
(19:28):
day or in a certain location. Some maybe morning or evening,
some may be you know, at the beach or out
on the balcony. Do you have a particular time of
day or location that really soothes your soul while you
are writing.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Well, as a matter of fact, the other night I
couldn't go to sleep, and at five o'clock in the morning,
I had this idea for a play of the children,
and I'm going to try and approach the drama teachers
in the schools when they open with the idea of
(20:08):
the play, which I'm going to call who me. So
I don't know when I'm going to get an idea,
and when I do, I go immediately to either a
pad and write down the idea or if I'm home
the computer. So I'm very I suppose I don't have
(20:31):
a schedule really, and I should and I and actually
at the moment, I'm trying to write a novel, a
historical novel, and it begins in seventeen sixty three and
it ends in seventeen eighty three, and it deals with
the fact that even though America declared its independence in
(20:56):
seventeen seventy six, it took seven years after that for
the rest of the world and of course the King
in England, to accept the fact that America was a
sovereign country. So with that, I'm working on that and
(21:17):
as well as the play, and also trying to get
all of my children's stories in one book rather than
just a separate book for each story. So I've got
a lot on my play. I'm ninety seven, and there
are enough hours in the day because I also like
(21:40):
to watch TV and I like to have my friends over,
so I'm quite busy.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Oh missus Nellie, I you are a woman after my
own heart, or I should say I am a woman
after your own heart. I love that you are. You
are a busy bee. I am very much the same.
My mother says that about me to her friend. She says, Oh,
if I know one person that is not sitting idly by,
(22:12):
who will will get up and do a something, that
is always working on making something a little bit better
or easier or including someone, it's my daughter. So I
have to say, bravo you. That was so inspiring to
me to you know, keep moving forward, to keep doing
(22:38):
what we have been I believe placed on the earth
to do whatever our personality type is. However, we are
little worker bees to keep doing that. So I love that,
and to be ninety seven years old. I love that
our you are the same age, around the same age.
(22:59):
Not my grand mother would have ben. I love that
you guys are still out there sharing your voice and
really inspiring us still because your stories matter and you
are really filling a void for a lot of people
who want to know the information that you have lived
(23:22):
through that you can share with us. So thank you
for continuing to do that. Now I have to say
a play. I think that's gonna be fun, but definitely
keep us in the loop about that. Whenever that happens
to come out. That's going to be exciting because that
(23:43):
means even more children will be involved and their parents
will be able to see them in action with that.
That's exciting. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Now as a as a writer, what would you say
is the thing that keeps you motivated to keep writing
or to keep going?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (24:07):
And you may have answered this just a bit, but
I want to give you a chance to expound if
you like. Is it your love for children? Is it
your love of teaching the children? What keeps you motivated
to keep going?
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I think that if I can help anybody, whether it's
a child or a friend or even a stranger, it
makes me feel good. I'm sure you feel the same.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Way, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
So I'm not happy. I would never be happy just
being happy by myself. I'd always want whoever I was
with to be happy as well. If I mean, I
was married, it's fifty nine years and I never would
have asked my husband to do something just to make
(25:06):
me happy if it made me unhappy. So I think
my whole value in life is we should love each
other and help each other, and then you feel good yourself.
That's I don't know, you like yourself. I think when
you've helped other people as well.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Oh, agreed. Agreed. As a little child, I remember hearing
the adults say if something that I've done inspires one
person or makes one person happy, then I'm glad that
I did it. As a teenager, I would hear celebrities
say if I can help one person not be whatever
(25:52):
it is, not be homeless, not be hungry, you know,
whatever the cause was for, then this was all worth it.
And I understood what they were saying. But now that
I am an adult and I am trying to be
a part of that change in the world, yes, I
definitely understand. And you're right, you do feel that. Wow, Okay,
(26:18):
all of this effort was worth it because one person
has been inspired or empowered, or you made someone laugh,
or they just felt seen or they felt heard. And
in a world that's so full of chaos or noise
and distraction, sometimes we forget to slow down just enough
(26:42):
to see our neighbor or to see our friend and
let them know that we hear them and we love
them and care for them. So I love that. I
love that, well, maybe there's nearly eyes. Thank you so
much for coming on a daily spark with Dotgia Angela
and sharing about your book and being such a wonderful
(27:03):
inspiration to all those who have listened today. I have
enjoyed my conversation with you.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
I have enjoyed my conversation with you. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Thank you, Yes, ma'am, you are so welcome and listeners.
Thank you for spending some time with us here today
as well. Though you know, of course, this book is
available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. I hope
that we have once again enlightened, inspired, and empowered you
to be your best self. As always, May the Lord
(27:39):
speak to you with his grace and with his mercy.
May you always remember that you you are blessed in
the Lord. Have a great day everyone,
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