From scouting out good properties to scouting out good publishers, real estate agent turned author Sharon Combs’ children’s book, "Puppy Pen Pals" finally has reached the public.
Tate Publishing and Enterprises released the book to bookstores nationwide the week of Oct. 13. In addition, it can also be purchased online at barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com or target.com.
Or it can be ordered through the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore.
The pair plans to do another book for next Christmas.
Combs, an Ashburn resident, co-wrote the book with her daughter Terri Silveira who lives in Sunnydale, Calif. They pieced together the book through long and numerous telephone conversations.
As one might guess, their dogs provided the inspiration.
"She just got a puppy and I had one that was a year and half. Then, I decided that I would have my dog write her dog a letter to welcome him into the family. We just kept going back and forth and finally we decided that it would be fun to put it in book form for children." Combs said.
Through the letters from Max the older dog to his puppy pen pal and cousin Samson, children also learn about the responsibility of having a dog as well as how fun they are and the unconditional love they offer their owners.
While the writing process wasn’t a headache for the novice author and her daughter, shopping around for a publisher was a challenge.
"It’s time consuming. It takes time for people to get back to you after you’ve sent them your transcript. We found it hard to find a publishing company that would do it the way we wanted it done." She said.
However, Tate Publishing and Enterprises was the right fit and brought the story to life their story through their illustrations.
Combs’ advice to other novice writers or those looking for a career as an author is to "never give up" and to "keep trying all avenues."
Both Combs and her daughter, Terri, were born in Kansas. She has lived in various places around the country, while her daughter spent her adult life in California. Combs graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in business. She just recently retired from real estate to begin her career as a children’s book writer.