How a Little Yorkie and a Squirrel Became a Book Series

Sometimes a project begins with a plan. Other times, it begins with a little dog chasing a squirrel across the backyard.

Not long after our Yorkie, Milo, passed over the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 15, I began thinking about writing a story about a Yorkie. Anyone who has had a dog for that many years knows how much a part of your life they become. Losing Milo left an empty spot, and writing seemed like a good way to put some of those feelings somewhere.

In February 2023, I wrote a simple essay about a Yorkie puppy playing in the backyard. I named her Lucy, after our current Yorkie, who was about six years old.

The idea wasn't complicated. It was fall, and I was thinking about dogs doing what dogs do in the backyard: exploring, running through the leaves and, of course, chasing squirrels.

But in my story, something different happened.

What if the Yorkie didn't just chase the squirrel?

What if they became friends?

That little question became the beginning of Lucy and Sammy.

At the time, I wasn't trying to create a children's book series. It was simply another piece of writing. Over the next few years, I continued writing about all kinds of subjects, from leadership and management to family history and my ancestors. Lucy's story sat there among the other things I had written.

Then, during the winter of 2026, I discovered Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

That changed things.

I started reading about how independent authors could actually publish their own books. Suddenly I looked back at that old story about Lucy and thought, "I could turn this into a children's book."

And, perhaps more importantly for me, it became another project.

I began figuring out how to take an essay and turn it into a picture book. I had to think differently about the story, the illustrations, the characters and how everything would fit together on the printed page.

Somewhere along the way, another idea appeared.

If Lucy and Sammy could have an adventure in the fall, what would happen to their friendship when winter arrived?

And if there was a winter story, why not spring?

Then, of course, summer had to follow.

What began as one little essay about a Yorkie chasing a squirrel became four stories following Lucy and Sammy through Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.

Today, all four books have been published.

I certainly didn't know that was where I was headed when I wrote that first essay in February 2023. There was no publishing plan, no four-book outline and no grand strategy.

There was just a little Yorkie, a squirrel and a backyard.

Sometimes that's enough to get a story started.

FALL|WINTER|SPRING|SUMMER

One backyard adventure. Four books later.