Dori Chaconas

As a child

I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in a house full of kids. I had five younger brothers and sisters, and it often became my job to keep them out of trouble. I loved to read, and loved songs and rhymes, so most often that's what I did to keep them entertained. When I wasn't reading to them, I read for myself. I had a fat book of poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and it was one of my favourite books. I didn't always understand what the words meant, but I liked the rhythm and rhyme and the feeling of the words in my mouth. I still like those things, but I don't think I'll ever understand free verse.

As an adult

Reading has always been a pleasure for me, and once I had my first daughters – twins! – I read to them often. My mind started to analyze the children's books I read, and I found myself with an itch to write. I had some publishing success in the 1970s, but writing before the internet was a lonely business, and so I left it for more social activities. In the late 1990's one of my twins started to write. She introduced me to a whole different world of writing which involved online communities of writers who were willing to give support to newcomers like me. I loved it.

As an artist

I write when inspiration strikes. Days, weeks, and even months can go by without a flicker of an idea that appeals to me. But once the idea comes, I'm obsessed with it and will work on it non-stop until I’m satisfied it's finished. But even when I'm not actually writing a story, I'm working on writer-related things—keeping up my website, networking with other writers, and reading, reading, reading—always reading. It's important to know what's being published in today's market. I've published nineteen books, mostly picture books, but also a series of easy-to-read titles. There are several more books that will be published in the next few years.here

Things you didn't know about Dori Chaconas

1. I love winter and I love snow. Snow is quiet, and I like quiet.
2. I have four daughters and one of them is a writer, too. Her name is Stacy DeKeyser.
3. I have never broken a bone in my body.
4. One of my favourite things is a clean, white piece of paper. I don't always like what I put on it, but that's all right because I can always get a new white sheet.
I don't have any pets, but I have a grand-dog named Chipper and a grand-cat named Cleo. My favourite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I live near a pond and I feed ducks. They come when I call them, "Duk-duk-duk-duk!" I have to say it really fast or else they won't come. I like mice when they're in stories, but don't want real ones in my house. When I was small, my favourite food was hot mashed potatoes with cold buttermilk poured over them. I know, it sounds awful, but I liked it.