Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we talked to LoLisa Marie Monroe about her writing and her recently published book, Diego the Donkey, an engaging, relatable, and fun read about a forlorn donkey who suffers from an acute sense of isolation (Read the review here).

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I have lost count! Five picture books, an easy reader, an autobiography, a young adult novel based on real life, and a cookbook!

What does literary success look like to you?

When a child acts out a scene from one of my stories or an adult tells me the last page left a tear in their eye. To engage the reader, no matter the age, is success and a joy.

What are your favorite books?

The Bible, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Little House on the Prairie, anything Beatrix Potter, and cookbooks.

What is your favorite childhood book?

A scratch and sniff Bambi book I bought at a Scholastic Book Fair with my milk money savings…still have it today!

What in particular attracted you to this genre?

I love children and animals, always have. My childhood friends were mostly dogs, cats, squirrels, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, and even a woodchuck. Those relationships taught me many things. Interaction with an animal, whether in life or through a book, can give children a way to relate to a situation without feeling as though they are ‘being taught’ a lesson.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

I was blessed to work with award-winning Carol Liddiment, who illustrated Diego the Donkey. If you follow my titles, you will hear about my amazing friends in Ukraine at Draw and Care who illustrated The Kitten That Could Not Meow and Penelope’s Peace Place, and hopefully many more! Jillian Dister Balogh is currently working with me on an early reader and Patrizia Donaera will work with me this fall on another picture book. In the world of picture books, as hard as you work on your craft, it is the illustrators who bring your vision to the page.

How does your faith life/ethical outlook inform your writing?

My faith is a huge part of my writing. It has gotten me through some tough times. There are so many lessons in the Bible; being kind to thy neighbor is one I hope resonated through my books.

What sort of a relationship exists between you and the characters you created in this book?

Where to begin? Carol Liddiment illustrated Diego the Donkey and worked meticulously with the photos and descriptions I emailed her. The Corgi that graces the cover and two internal pages is my precious Grace, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last August.

Diego and Duncan lived under aliases at Spurwink Farm in Maine. The Belted Galloway was my Dutchess many years ago, born in my arms. The big black horse is Bethesda After Dark, aka Shadow. If you Google him, you will find out all about this amazing Morgan combined driving horse my husband Scott raised and competed at the world level. My daughters and I raised chickens years ago, and the list goes on and on!

How do you begin a book?

With notepads all around the house. I think of stories in the middle of the night and get up and write little bullet points. My mind is juggling a few stories all the time. My husband bought me the perfect little Microsoft Surface and I sit every morning with my pot of tea and type my Tales and Tails.

If you could only change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

If I could change one thing, I would be a talented illustrator!

What’s next for you?

Maneuvering this complicated world of marketing books. I do not have a lot of social media and my background is in manufacturing. We built our business with word of mouth. That was a long time ago! Today word of mouth is on the internet in some form or another and I am technologically challenged!

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