Debra Shiveley Welch, winner of a number of literary awards and also a best-selling author, is on
In Good Company today to tell us about her new book
Christopher Meets Buddy. Debra is also my cousin and my co-author of
Jesus Gandhi Oma Mae Adams, the first book for both of us, published in 2006. Since the day of her birth, Debra has been one of the most important people in my life, and it is a pleasure to welcome her today.
Christopher
Meets Buddy is
my latest book and second in the Christopher series. The first, Christopher Bullfrog Catcher, was written by my son for a school
project and was traditionally published when he was 11-years-old. His interest has since veered toward digital
photography, and he has, therefore, handed off the baton to me,and I will carry
on with the series we envisioned when he was a young boy.
Christopher
Meets Buddy
serves a dual purpose. When I first took
a pet parrot into my home, I was appalled at how little I knew about caring for
our avian brothers and sisters. I was
fortunate enough to find a group called Tielchatter, where the owner, Michael
Burke, instructed all of the “newbies” in how to take proper care of our
feathered friends, or as we like to say, feathered kids, or Fids. I was a member of that group for 13 years
until, tragically, we lost Michael to kidney failure.
I had been itching to write a book on
the proper care of pet parrots for some years. Michael’s death spurred me on to
complete it, and so Christopher Meets
Buddy was born.
Going back over my notes, collected over
a period of many years, I sat down, determined to do Michael justice: the main character, Christopher, wants a pet bird for his
birthday. He talks to his parents, and
it is here that I have attempted to drive home the basis of what I am trying to
convey:
“Christopher,” Mom said, “calm down,
honey. We need to discuss this with our
minds, not with our wants. We have to
make sure that we can take good care of any pet we bring into our family.”
Issues such as which parrot to choose,
cage size, perches, toys, food, misting, vet care and bonding are discussed,
accompanied by beautifully created illustrations.
Christopher
Meets Buddy
is also being used as a teaching guide for new parrot owners at the Black Hills
Parrot Welfare and Education Center in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
Christopher
Meets Buddy
is dedicated to Michael Burke, with great affection and gratitude. He was committed to the proper care of our
winged companions, and I believe that his passion has helped many a new
inductee into the world of avian adoption, not only succeed, but thrive in the
raising, caring, loving and bonding with one of God’s most fascinating
creations.
I’m Debra Shiveley Welch and am the
author of A Very Special Child, a
children’s book about adoption and winner of the Faithwriter’s Gold Seal of
Approval – Outstanding Read award: Jesus
Gandhi Oma Mae Adams, co-authored with Linda Lee Greene,my memoir Son on of My Soul – The Adoption of
Christopher, also a winner of the Faithwriters Award, of Books and Authors
Best Non-Fiction 2008 and AllBooksReview’s Editor’s Choice 2010, soon to be
available in audio format; Cedar Woman, the story of a woman of the Lakota Sioux and winner of Books and Authors
Best Native American Fiction 2011. In addition, I have written many short
stories, essays and poems.
I am now working on Spirit Woman, the sequel to Cedar
Woman, Christopher’s Family Table,
a collection of family recipes and Christopher
Meets Emma, third in the Christopher series about the proper care of a pet
cat.
Christopher has published a subsequent
work, Just Chris, his memoir and
companion book to Son of My Soul – The
Adoption of Christopher.
I hope that you enjoy Christopher Meets Buddy, soon to be
available in coloring book format.
