We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Dantz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I was inspired to write the Sandy the Service Dog Series as a result of several interconnected experiences and life events.
For example, the first book in the series, Lost in a Hurricane, was written as a gift for my niece, Alex’s 9th birthday. Ever since I met Alex, she has always held a very special place in my heart. She loves reading and animals, and I wanted to give her the most special present I could think of. My husband and I came up with the idea for the story together, drawing inspiration from real life, as at the time I wrote the book, Alex also had an emotional support dog named Benny. Our goal was to create a “Homeward Bound” meets “Lady and the Tramp” feel. Now, Alex is 15 and still loves reading and animals. She actually had a summer internship at the Zoo in Ohio!
I also wanted to focus the message of the books on anti-bullying because I was bullied horribly as a child. I wish I had books like these when I was younger so I could have seen that it is okay to be yourself.
Now, my goal is to get my books in the hands of as many children as I can to inspire them with positive, uplifting messages too.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have always loved writing.
I started writing song lyrics in the sixth grade. What’s really special is that my classmates actually compared me to Taylor Swift!
In grade school, we also had a short story competition called Power of the Pen. As a part of this competition, you had one hour to write a complete story on a given prompt. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the team and I was devastated, but my teacher at the time said, “Michelle, you are a great writer, you just need more time to tell your stories.” That message always stuck with me.
I decided to write children’s books because I have always had a passion for kids, and wanted to impact their lives positively. Since the second grade, I have wanted to be a teacher and spent some time in college pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. Although I was unable to finish my degree, I am still actively involved with kids. I offer school visits to children all across the US, so whether it’s virtual or in person, I get to connect with many kids which is wonderful.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being able to connect with as many children as I do. To show them it is okay to be yourself!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew more about the author groups I am now a part of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXFK2HZG?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_mmd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormmd/
