Samantha walks into a pet store, and an ancient parrot says to her, “Bust me out of here!”
Samantha’s decision involves her in a dangerous adventure with her neighbor Jake that will pit them against monsters, magical creatures, and an ancient evil guardian.
To save two worlds, they will have to decide to risk everything, while facing their greatest fears…
My sister said my working title (The Methuselah Parrot) didn’t work, and I needed a punchy one-word title.
I thought on this for two weeks, before WhipEye came out of the blue to me while watching a movie. I had never seen the term or heard it, and to be honest it sounded goofy and foreign.
However, the more I repeated WhipEye to myself, the more I liked it.
I had to put in backstory to make it work, and that one word, WhipEye, made the plot, the main character, and the world building stronger and complete. In fact, it framed everything for the book. I am still amazed by this.
Operating like this is called living intuitively, and intuition plays a role in WhipEye. Kids need to trust themselves, and learn how to do it.
I also wanted a main character that is in love with wildlife—so young readers can appreciate the beauty of wild animals as much as they do dogs, cats, or other pets.
This story is about heart, loss and love, protecting those who can’t protect themselves, and doing what’s right. Kids need to understand that they can be afraid, and still follow their heart. More than anything, WhipEye is a good thriller, an action adventure that all ages can enjoy.
I hope my readers find WhipEye as thrilling as I did when writing it.